Signs of Child Abuse
Child abuse is when someone who can be an adult or a child – harms a child. It can be physical, sexual or emotional abuse, and can also involve a lack of love, care or attention. Neglect and Emotional Abuse can be just as damaging as Physical and Sexual Abuse, so it is important to watch and be aware of the signs. The child may be suffering from more than one type of abuse so the following are just guidelines. Please take notice if you any significant changes in a child’s behaviour.
In over 90% of abuse cases the perpetrators are someone the child knows or trusts.
Example:
- parents or family members
- caregivers
- friends
- teachers
- police officers
- spiritual leaders
- health care workers
- strangers
- even other children
*Perpetrators report that they look for quiet, troubled, lonely children from single-parent or broken homes.*1717 Elliott, M., Browne, K., & Kilcoyne, J. (1995). Child sexual abuse prevention: What offenders tell us. Child Abuse & Neglect, 5, 579-594.
Children with disabilities are at a far greater risk of being abused.
This is because:
- They may be dependent on the abuser for their care
- They may be unable to communicate that they are being abused
- They may not understand that they are being abused
- Parents can more easily become stressed with the demands placed on them by parenting a child with a disability.