Safeguarding Children: Signs and Symptoms of Abuse
DEFINITION OF CHILD ABUSE
An abused child is any child, up to the age of 18, who has suffered from, or is believed likely to be at risk of, physical injury, neglect, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or verbal abuse. (Source: www.yesican.org)
It is recognised that that it is abuse when someone inflicts harm or fails to prevent it. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or by a stranger, for example, via the internet. Child abuse can have major long-term effects on all aspects of a child's health, development and well being. The main forms of ill-treatments are:
1) Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is deliberately causing physical harm to a child. This might involve punching; kicking, biting, burning, scalding, shaking, throwing or beating with objects such as belts, whips, or sticks. It also includes poisoning, giving a child alcohol or illegal drugs, drowning or suffocation. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of illness in a child.
• 1.1) Signs of Physical Abuse
• There are certain signs that need to be acknowledged when suspicion arises that physical abuse is occurring:
• Any injuries not consistent with the explanation given to school staff.
• Injuries which occur to the body in places which are not normally exposed to falls or rough games
• Injuries which have not received medical attention
• Reluctance to change for, or participate in PE or swimming
• Bruises, bites, burns and fractures, for example, which do not have an accidental explanation
• The child gives inconsistent accounts for the cause of injuries
1.2) Possible effects of physical abuse
Physical abuse can lead directly to neurological damage, physical injuries, disability and in extreme cases death. Physical abuse has been linked to aggressive behaviour in children, emotional and behavioural problems and learning difficulties. (Source: /www.secasa.co).
2) Emotional Abuse
An abused child is any child, up to the age of 18, who has suffered from, or is believed likely to be at risk of, physical injury, neglect, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or verbal abuse. (Source: www.yesican.org)
It is recognised that that it is abuse when someone inflicts harm or fails to prevent it. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or by a stranger, for example, via the internet. Child abuse can have major long-term effects on all aspects of a child's health, development and well being. The main forms of ill-treatments are:
1) Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is deliberately causing physical harm to a child. This might involve punching; kicking, biting, burning, scalding, shaking, throwing or beating with objects such as belts, whips, or sticks. It also includes poisoning, giving a child alcohol or illegal drugs, drowning or suffocation. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of illness in a child.
• 1.1) Signs of Physical Abuse
• There are certain signs that need to be acknowledged when suspicion arises that physical abuse is occurring:
• Any injuries not consistent with the explanation given to school staff.
• Injuries which occur to the body in places which are not normally exposed to falls or rough games
• Injuries which have not received medical attention
• Reluctance to change for, or participate in PE or swimming
• Bruises, bites, burns and fractures, for example, which do not have an accidental explanation
• The child gives inconsistent accounts for the cause of injuries
1.2) Possible effects of physical abuse
Physical abuse can lead directly to neurological damage, physical injuries, disability and in extreme cases death. Physical abuse has been linked to aggressive behaviour in children, emotional and behavioural problems and learning difficulties. (Source: /www.secasa.co).
2) Emotional Abuse