Identifying Abuse in Children

By Chanelle McKenzie

In this day and age the concept of abuse is heard everywhere. When people hear the term "abuse" they automatically assume physical abuse but a person can be abused in more ways then physical.

Types of abuses include:

• Physical Abuse: An intentional act of causing bodily injury or harm to another person or animal by physical contact.

• Child Abuse: A form of physical abuse where a perpetrator intentionally causes bodily injury or harm to child by physical contact.

• Emotional/Psychological Abuse: any kind of abuse that is directed to one's emotion and mentality which can include verbal abuse and constant criticism of one's self.

• Sexual Abuse: An abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another which is often described as using force or by taking advantage of another individual.

• Neglect: A form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone, fails to care for them unwilling or carelessly .

Though these types of abuses have different definitions and actions that portray each of them, there signs that can displayed between all of them that signify the abuse.

Injuries

When it come to abuse injuries is a huge indicator that abuse is occurring. When it come to bruises and injuries there's a difference from getting an injury by accident and getting an injury on purpose according to nspcc.org it states "If a child regularly has injuries, there seems to be a pattern to the injuries or the explanation doesn't match the injuries, then this should be reported". This logic demonstrates how injuries can display abuse towards children because everyone has accidents that can result in injuries , but it's important to be aware that if someone repeatedly gets injured without a logical explanation that can indicate they could be a victim of child abuse.

Change of Behavior

If somebody has a sudden change in emotions and a change in the normal behavior then its likely that they're experiencing a form of abuse. When a child experiences a sudden change in behavior it may be time to investigate the home situation of the child because there may be a problem in their home life.

According to verywellfamily.com "A child’s behavior can indicate if there’s a problem at home. Inappropriate behavior that is either very immature or a little bit too mature for the child’s age may indicate abuse, as well as a dramatic behavioral change". Also according to enoughabuse.org "Changes in a child's or teen's behavior can sometimes be clues that sexual abuse has occurred. However, just like physical signs, these changes can be brought on by other stresses and events".This demonstrates how a change of behavior can indicate abuse towards children because though a change of behavior does not prove that child abuse is present in a family,But when these sudden changes in behavior or social life, you can consider the possibility of child abuse.

Changes in health

When there's a sudden change in a child's health it can be a indicator that a child is being abused. When a child experiences a sudden change in health, this is not only a huge danger towards to child well-being but it can also a huge indicator that something is wrong in the child's home life and for a child, if they experience a drastic change in their health it can have long-lasting affects towards their developmental stage which they would endure well into adulthood. According to childwelfare.gov it states "Maltreatment during infancy and early childhood has been shown to negatively affect early brain development and in turn contribute to negative behavioral health outcomes into adolescence and adulthood".This demonstrates how a change of health can indicate a child being abused because early adversities such as child abuse can have a dangerous result of on the victim's future health.

What to do if you see signs of abuse

Its really important that if you suspect a child (whether being related or not) of being a victim of abuse its important that you should do that following.

• If you sense a child well-being is in immediate danger, call the police on 911 immediately.

• Call the Child Abuse Hotline, at 1-800-342-3720. This hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Check out ocfs.ny.gov for more information on preventing child abuse from occurring.

---

And if you feel the need advice on this subject be sure to contact us on our contact page.