What is Child Abuse?

Child abuse is any form of abuse that inhibits and restricts the child’s mental and physical abilities and denies the child’s right to grow and maximize their potential in a healthy environment. It is damage to a child for which there is no “reasonable” explanation and includes non-accidental physical injury, neglect, sexual molestation, and emotional abuse. Abuse includes:

• A physical injury that is inflicted by other than accidental means on a child by another person.

• Willful cruelty or unjustifiable punishment of a child.

• Cruel or inhuman corporal punishment or injury.

• Neglect includes both severe and general neglect.

• Sexual abuse includes both sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

• Abuse of all of the above in out-of-home care (foster homes, administrator or employee of a school, residential home, or other agency).

Indications of the presence of general child abuse include when the CHILD:

• Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance.

• Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents’ attention.

• Has learning problems that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes.

• Is always watchful, fearful, or apprehensive, as if waiting for something bad to happen.

• Lacks adult supervision.

• Is overly compliant or passive, is an overachiever or too responsible.

• Arrives at school early, stays late, and does not want to go home.

Child Abuse may be present when the Parent or parents:

• Show little concern for their child, i.e. rarely responds to school’s request for information, conferences, or home visits.

• Denies the existence of, or blames the child for the child’s problems.

• Requests the teacher to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves.

• Sees the child as entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome.

• Demands perfection, or a level of physical or academic performance that is unrealistic for the child or that the child cannot achieve.

• Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs.

The Child and Parent:

• Rarely touch or look at each other.

• Consider their relationship entirely negative.

• State that they do not like each other.

PHYSICAL ABUSE

Any act which results in non-accidental physical injury, including excessive corporal and unjustifiable punishment, inflicted by, or allowed to be inflicted by, responsible persons. Corporal punishment is the infliction of cruel or inhumane bodily punishment or injury resulting in trauma.

Indications of Physical Abuse include when the Child:

• Has bruises, burns, abrasions, lacerations, or swelling caused by other than accidental means; also broken bones or black eyes.

• Has faded bruises or other marks noticeable after an absence from school.

• Has belt buckle, cord, hanger or paddle marks, hand prints, bite marks, and pinches.

• States injury was caused by abuse or reports injury by a parent or another caregiver.

• Has an injury unusual for a specific age group.

• Has a history of previous or recurrent injuries.

• Has unexplained injuries; conflicting explanations or reasons for injury.

• Seems frightened of parents and protests or cries when it is time to go home from school.

• Shrinks at the approach of adults.

• Is excessively passive, compliant, or fearful.

Consider Physical Abuse when the Parent or other Caregiver:

• Attempts to hide child’s injuries.

• Offers conflicted, unconvincing, or no explanation for the child’s injury.

• Uses harsh physical discipline with the child.

• Describes the child in negative ways, such as "evil."

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Willful or uncontrollable repetitive infliction of mental suffering to a child which often includes yelling, blaming, belittling and name-calling; prolonged ignoring or refusing to consider the child’s emotional needs.

Indications of Emotional Abuse include when a child:

• Shows extremes in behavior – overly compliant or demanding; extremely passive or aggressive.

• Is isolated or withdrawn, or argues, fights or gets into trouble to let out anger.

• Is inappropriately “adult” (i.e. parenting other children) or inappropriately infantile (i.e. frequently rocking or head-banging).

• Is delayed in physical or emotional development.

• May have difficulty making and keeping friends.

• Has attempted suicide.

• Reports lack of attachment to their parent.

Consider Emotional Abuse when the parent or other caregiver:

• Constantly blames, belittles, or berates the child.

• Overtly rejects the child.

• Is unconcerned about the child and refuses to consider offers of help for the child’s problems.

NEGLECT

Child neglect encompasses the negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child by a parent or caretaker under circumstances indicating harm or threatened harm to the child’s health or welfare. Neglect can also include severe malnutrition and endangerment of a child’s body or health. Physical injury need not occur for child neglect to be reported.

When determining the child’s failure to thrive, there is a difference between severe and general neglect.

SEVERE NEGLECT – failure to protect the child from endangerment both physically and mentally, and failure to allow growth in these areas.

GENERAL NEGLECT – deprivation of adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision where no physical or emotional injury to the child has occurred.

Indications of Neglect include when a Child:

• Is frequently absent from school.

• Lacks adequate medical or dental care, immunizations, glasses, etc.

• Is consistently dirty or lacks proper hygiene.

• Is inadequately dressed for weather conditions.

• Is always hungry, begs or steals food or money from classmates.

• Is always sleepy.

• Abuses alcohol or other drugs.

• States there is no one at home to provide care or supervision.

• Indicates that conditions in the home are extremely or persistently unsafe or unsanitary.

Consider the possibility of Neglect when the Parent or other Caregiver:

• Appears to be indifferent to the child or apathetic toward care for the child.

• Seems depressed.

• Behaves irrationally.

• Is abusing alcohol or other drugs.

SEXUAL ABUSE

Sexual abuse is a large umbrella that includes: lewd touching, molestation, and any sexual assault, incest, and the sexual exploitation of minors; the physical and emotional involvement of a child in sexual activities. Child sexual abuse can occur between adult and child or adolescent and child.

Further, child sexual abuse includes acts such as nudity, disrobing, genital exposure, observation of the child (these do not always involve touching, skin-to-skin or genital contact), kissing, fondling, masturbation, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, vaginal or anal intercourse, and child pornography.

Child sexual exploitation is the depiction of a minor engaged in obscene acts and the employment or encouragement of a child to engage in prostitution or to pose in live or photographed sexual performances.

Indications of Sexual Abuse includes when a Child:

• Reports sexual activities to a trusted person.

Children who are too frightened to report sexual abuse may make indirect comments about the activity or exhibit a variety of physical and behavioral signals such as:

• Has a detailed and age-inappropriate understanding of sexual behavior (especially in younger children).

• Demonstrates sophisticated or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior.

• Expresses affection in ways inappropriate for child’s age.

• Wears torn, stained, or bloody underclothing.

• Suffers vaginal or rectal bleeding, pain, itching, swollen genitals, or vaginal discharge.

• Becomes pregnant or contracts a sexually-transmitted disease, particularly if very young.

• Has difficulty walking or sitting.

• Suddenly refuses to change for gym or to participate in physical activities.

• Begins to fail in school or starts delinquent or disruptive behavior.

• Exhibits behavioral changes such as hostility, anxiety, withdrawal, fearfulness, or crying without provocation.

• Returns to more infantile behavior, such as bed-wetting, thumb sucking, or excessive crying.

• Has changes in appetite.

• Recurrent nightmares, disturbed sleep patterns, or fear of the dark.

• Has fear of a person or intense dislike or fear at being left somewhere or with someone. Runs away.

• Is the victim of other forms of abuse.

Consider the possibility of Sexual Abuse when Parent or other Caregiver:

• Is unduly protective of the child.

• Severely limits the child’s contact with other children.

• Is secretive and isolated.

• Describes marital difficulties involving family power struggles or sexual relations.