Understanding Child Abuse

1
SIGNS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT
2
The Effects of Abuse

• The long-term effects of child abuse or neglect
  can be devastating. They can include substance
  abuse, psychological problems, and suicide.
  Reporting suspected abuse or neglect can help to
  stop the destructive process and start the
  healing process.
• Any mandatory reporter who suspects that a child
  is suffering from any type of abuse or neglect,
  is legally required to report that suspicion to
  appropriate authorities.
• According to North Carolina State Law, any
  person who has cause to suspect abuse or neglect
  is required to report.

3
Note of Caution

• Research shows that there are a number of
  symptoms exhibited by children that may indicate
  abuse or neglect.
• The presence of a single indicator does not
  automatically mean that abuse or neglect has
  occurred. However, it does warrant your
  attention.

4
What is Child Abuse?

• Is rarely a single physical attack, but rather a
  pattern of abuse that repeats over time.
• Occurs when a parent or other person willfully
  or maliciously injures or causes a child to be
  injured, tortured or maimed, or when unreasonable
  force is used upon a child.
• Abuse and neglect can be physical, emotional
  and sexual.

5
Characteristics of Child Abuse and Neglect

• Abused and neglected children are found in
  families at all...
• Economic levels
• Racial and ethnic backgrounds
• Geographic locations.
• People are more likely to behave in ways that
  can hurt children or lead to child abuse and
  neglect when they neglect to take good care of
  themselves.

6
Risk factors leading to abuse

• The stress of poverty or unemployment
• A lack of social support to help parents do a
  good job of parenting
• Conflict and/or violence between spouses
• A child (or children) who has special needs, is
  hard to comfort or challenging to rear

• Abuse alcohol or other substances
• Are highly vulnerable to the stress of caring for
  children
• Have low self-esteem and feel isolated
• Use more physical punishment than positive
  guidance

7
Physical abuse

• Definition
• is any non-accidental injury to a child under the
  age of 18 by a parent or caretaker.
• Non-accidental injuries
• beatings, shaking, burns, human bites,
  strangulation or immersion in scalding water,
  with resulting bruises and welts, broken bones,
  scars or internal injuries

• Physical Indicators
• Unexplained fractures/dislocations
• Unexplained bruises and welts
• Unexplained burns
• Other unexplained injuries may include
  lacerations, abrasions, human bite marks or pinch
  marks, loss of hair or bald patches, retinal
  hemorrhage, or abdominal injuries

8
Physical AbuseBehavioral/Emotional Indicators

• Wears clothing that is not appropriate for the
  weather
• Afraid to go home and/or requests to stay in
  school, day care, etc.
• Overly shy, tends to avoid physical contacts with
  adults, especially parents.
• Displays behavioral extremes (withdrawal or
  aggressiveness).
• Cries excessively and/or sits and stares.
• Excessive absences
• Constantly tired or unable to stay awake
• Gives unbelievable explanations for injuries.
• Easily agitated, defensive
• Depression, low self-esteem, suicidal tendencies
• Cognitive/intellectual impairment, deficits in
  speech/language

9
What is Emotional Abuse?Two Levels

• Emotional Neglect
• Emotional neglect is the consistent failure of a
  parent or caretaker to provide a child with
  appropriate support, attention and affection.

• Emotional Abuse
• Emotional abuse is the chronic pattern of
  behaviors, such as belittling, humiliating and
  ridiculing a child.

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Emotional AbusePhysical Behavioral Indicators

• Eating disorder
• Sleep disturbances, nightmares
• Speech disorders, stuttering
• Failure to thrive
• Developmental lags
• Asthma, severe allergies or ulcers
• Sallow, empty facial appearance
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Depressed, withdrawn, isolated

• Habit disorders, such as biting, rocking,
  head-banging, thumb-sucking in an older child
• Poor peer relationships
• Behavioral extremes, overly compliant or
  demanding, withdrawn or aggressive
• Self-destructive behavior, remaining oblivious to
  hazards and risks
• Chronic academic underachievement

11
What is Child Neglect?

• Neglect is the chronic failure of a parent or
  caretaker to provide a child under 18 with
  adequate food, clothing, medical care, protection
  and supervision.

12
Child NeglectPhysical Behavioral Indicators

• Height and weight significantly below age levels
• Inappropriate clothing for weather
• Child abandoned or left with inadequate
  supervision
• Untreated illness or injury
• Lack of safe, sanitary shelter
• Lack of necessary medical and dental care

• Begging or stealing food
• Falling asleep in school, lethargic
• Poor school attendance, frequent tardiness
• Chronic hunger
• Dull, apathetic appearance
• Running away from home
• Repeated acts of vandalism
• Reports no caretakers in the home
• Assumes adult responsibilities

13
What is Child Sexual Abuse?

• Child sexual abuse is the exploitation of a child
  or adolescent for the sexual gratification of
  another person. It includes behaviors such as
  intercourse, sodomy, oral-genital stimulation,
  verbal stimulation, exhibitionism, voyeurism,
  fondling, and involving a child in prostitution
  or the production or pornography.
• Incest is sexual abuse that occurs within a
  family. The abusers may be a parent, step-parent,
  grandparent, sibling, cousin or other family
  member.

14
Child Sexual AbusePhysical Indicators

• Somatic complaints, including pain and irritation
  of the genitals
• Sexually transmitted disease
• Pregnancy in young adolescents
• Frequent unexplained sore throats, yeast, or
  urinary tract infections
• Difficulty in walking or sitting
• Loss of bladder or bowel control

15
Behavioral Indicators

• Decline in school performance
• Eating or sleeping disturbances
• Excessive masturbation in young children
• Sexual knowledge or behavior beyond that expected
  for the childs developmental level
• Depression, suicidal gestures
• Chronic running away
• Frequent psychosomatic complaints, such as
  headaches, backaches, or stomachaches
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Avoidance of undressing or wearing extra layers
  of clothes
• Sudden avoidance of certain familiar adults or
  places

16
The Characteristics of Child Sexual Abusers

• More non-biological care takers ( like step or
  adoptive parents, baby-sitters, boyfriends or
  girlfriends) sexually abuse than do birth parents
  or relatives
• More males than females sexually abuse
• Children are sexually abused more often by people
  they know than by strangers

17
Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect

• Low self-esteem
• Academic problems truancy
• Self-destructive behavior
• Anxiety depression
• Impaired ability to trust others
• Re-victimization
• Sexually inappropriate behavior
• Running away
• Delinquency
• Eating disorders
• Suicide attempts
• Increased likelihood of criminal behavior and
  mental health problems

18
Responding To A Disclosure

• It is important to respond in a calm, supportive
  and appropriate manner. Build trust and insure
  confidentiality
• Children will find it difficult to tell someone
  about abuse or neglect that is occurring to them.
  Many times children will wait a long time before
  disclosing.
• If the person reacts with disgust or doesnt
  believe them, they will stop disclosing the
  events.

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How to Respond

• Be on the same eye level as the child be tactful
  and have no barriers between you and the child
• Assess the childs safety needs and the urgency
  of the situation
• Let the child do the talking and tell you, in
  their own words, what happened
• Validate the childs feelings
• Believe the child and be supportive

20
How to Respond

• Tell the child you are glad that they told you
• Tell the child you will try to get them some help
• Tell the child you will have to tell someone
  whose job it is to help kids with these kinds of
  problems
• Dont interrogate or interview the child
• Do not project or assume anything let the child
  tell his own story leave out your own
  assumptions
• Let the child know you believe them and they did
  the right thing by telling you
• Reassure the child they are not to blame for the
  abuse and have done nothing wrong

21
How to Report

• Follow this process to avoid further abuse to
  the child and to legally protect yourself
• Document any incident or discussion that leads
  you to suspect the abuse.
• Contact one of the following persons who is
  immediately available School counselor, school
  social worker, school nurse, school
  administrator.
• You may make a report to DSS yourself, and are
  legally obligated to do so, if no one is
  available at the time a child discloses
  information to you.

22
How To Report

• Call the DSS Hotline and tell them you want to
  make a report
• Have the following information ready when you
  call
• Name and age of the child
• Date of birth and SSN if possible
• Name, address, and phone number of the parents or
  caretakers
• Number, names, and ages of others in the home if
  available
• Parents workplace and work number
• Nature and extent of any injury or condition
  resulting from abuse or neglect
• Strengths and challenges of the family situation
• Any other information you feel might be helpful

23
What Happens After You Make A Report
If the suspected perpetrator is a parent,
guardian, custodian, or caretaker, DSS will
respond If it is not a caretaker, DSS will report
your concerns to local law enforcement and may
tell you to do the same If your report is
accepted Assessment begins within 24 hours if
it is suspected physical abuse within 72 hours
if it is suspected neglect The assessment
determines Facts of the case Extent of the abuse
or neglect The risk of harm to the child The
outcome of the assessment determines that The
report is substantiated or not substantiated
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What Happens If
Not substantiated? The allegations do not meet
the legal definition of child abuse or
neglect. The allegations do not suggest that the
action or inaction of the caretaker resulted in
harm to the child. You will be notified, in
writing, of the decision not to take further
action. You have the right to appeal the agencys
decision. Substantiated? DSS will provide
services to alleviate the maltreatment. In
extreme situations, they may remove the child
from the home.