Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect
Information courtesy of Prevent Child Abuse Indiana.
Infliction of physical injury or allowing another to do so.
Physical Indicators:
- Unexplained bruises
- Unexplained welts
- Unexplained burns
- Unexplained lumps
- Unexplained bumps
- Unexplained fractures
- Unexplained lacerations or abrasions
- Hemorrhages
- Burns by cigarettes
- Burns by immersion
- Dental/oral injuries
Behavioral Indicators:
- Verbally reports abuse
- Too eager to please
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Behavioral extremes
- Role reversal
- Developmental lags
- Appears frightened of caretaker
- Apprehensive children cry
- Exaggerated startle response
- School absenteeism
Behavioral Indicators of Caretaker:
- Harsh disciplinarian
- Describes child in a consistently negative manner
- Defensive
- Conceals or misleads about child’s injuries
- Substance abuser
Chronic failure to meet basic needs of a child for food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education or supervision.
Physical Indicators:
- Flat, bald spots on infant’s head
- Dirty, smelly, torn, dirty or inappropriate clothing for the weather
- Developmental lags
- Underweight
Behavioral Indicators:
- Listless
- Begging/stealing food
- Constant fatigue
- Alcohol or drug use
- Reports being left alone
Behavioral Indicators of Caretaker:
- Substance abuser
- Chaotic lifestyle
- Apathetic
- Expects too much of child
Utilization of a child for sexual gratification by an adult or older child in a position of power, or permitting another person to do so.
Physical Indicators:
- Any venereal disease
- Bruised/dilated genitals or rectum
- Pregnancy under 16 years of age
- Difficulty/pain in walking or sitting
- Foreign matter in bladder, rectum or urethra
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Torn, stained or bloody underclothing
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
Behavioral Indicators:
- Aggressive, overt sexual behavior
- Drawing pictures of people with genitals or vagina
- Cruelty to animals without physiological basis
- Pre-mature knowledge of explicit sexual acts
- Sleep disorders
- Taking frequent baths
- Starting fires
- Self-inflicted injuries
- Expresses fear of a particular person or place
- Reports sexual abuse
Types
- Emotional Neglect – Chronic failure by the caretaker to provide support and affection necessary to develop a sound and healthy personality.
- Emotional Abuse – Chronic attitude or acts of a caretaker which are detrimental to the child’s development of a sound and healthy personality.
Behavioral Indicators:
- Low self esteem
- Difficulty forming positive relationships
- Eating disorders
- Elimination problems
- Speech disorders
- Inability to trust
- Sleep problems
- Sadistic, masochistic
- Apathetic
- Suicidal
- Withdrawal
- Anxiety, fear
- Developmental lags
- Reports emotional maltreatment
Behavioral Indicators of Caretaker
- Rejecting, ignoring, terrorizing, isolating, corrupting.