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Child Abuse

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Objectives

To explain the various types of child abuse

To examine the effects of abuse on the growth, development and behavior of children

To identify possible warning signs of abuse, in both child and guardian

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Child Abuse

“…at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.”

--The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act

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Child Abuse

“Child abuse and neglect in the United States now represents a national emergency…Protection of children from harm is not just an ethical duty; it is a matter of national survival.”

--U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect

Over 2.9 million cases of child abuse were reported last year in this country

95% of child abusers were themselves abused as children

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Hospitalization

Chronic HealthProblems

Mental Health Care

Child Welfare

Law Enforcement

Judicial System

$258 million is spent each day in the United States as a result of the abuse and neglect of this nation’s

children

Cost of Child Abuse

Est

imat

ed D

aily

Dire

ct C

osts

$1,164,686

$8,186,185

$17,001,082$934,725

$39,452,054

$67,698

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Cost of Child AbuseE

stim

ated

Dai

ly In

dire

ct C

osts

Special Education

Mental Health &Health Care

JuvenileDelinquencyLost Productivity toSociety

Adult Criminality

$1,797,260

$24,124,086

$12,678,455$612,624

$151,726,027

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Child Abuse

SexualPhysicalEmotionalNeglect

Common forms of child abuse

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Sexual Abuse

10% of sexually abused childrenare preschoolers

The average offender is involved with over 70 children in his or her

“career” of offending

Sexual Abuse—sexual contact with a child, or use of child for sexual pleasure of someone else– Exposing private parts - Fondling

- Attempt to penetrate– Oral sex

or asking child to do so

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Sexual Abuse

Physical signs of abuse*– Difficulty walking, sitting– Clothing is torn– Pregnancy– Underwear stained, bloody– Genital area pain or itching– Venereal disease (especially pre-teens)

Children often will not tell anyone about their encounter with a sexual offender for fear of retaliation, consequences, relationship to offender and worrying about whether or not they will be believed

*any of these signs also could indicate another problem not associated with abuse

85-90% involve a perpetrator

known to the child

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Sexual Abuse

Behavioral signs of abuse*– Sleep problems: insomnia, nightmares, refusal to

sleep alone, suddenly insisting on night light– Unusual knowledge pertaining to sexual behavior– Uncomfortableness or rejection of normal family

affection– Sexual acting out– Sudden reluctance or refusal to go somewhere or be

with someone– Digressive behavior: bed wetting, sucking thumb,

unusual signs of dependency– Sudden change in personality

*any of these signs also could indicate another problem not associated with abuse

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Sexual Abuse

Possible signs of sexually abusive parent/guardian– Overly protective/jealous of child and friends– Encourages exhibitionism in child– Exposes child to pornographic and sexually

stimulating images– Encourages the child in promiscuous and/or

prostitute acts– Freely discusses or boasts about sexual themes

with child– Seductive towards child

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Physical Abuse

Physical Abuse—non-accidental physical injury– Severe beating - Burns– Biting - Strangulation– Scalding

Resulting in…– Bruises - Welts– Broken bones - Serious internal

injuries– Scars

An abused child is definedas under the age of 18

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Physical Abuse

Physical signs of abuse– Bite marks– Unusual bruises– Lacerations– Burns– Fractures in unusual places– Injuries, swelling of face and extremities– Discoloration of skin– High incidence of accidents, frequent injuries

Usually a pattern, beaware of frequent

occurrences

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Physical Abuse

Behavioral signs of abuse– Apprehensive when other children cry– Gives inconsistent versions about occurrence of

injuries– Little respect for others– Has difficulty getting along with others– Plays aggressively, often hurting others– Often late or absent from school– Seems frightened by parents– Arrives early for school, reluctant to go home

afterwards

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Physical Abuse

Possible signs of physically abusive parent/guardian or family member– Economic stress– Little or no interest in child’s well-being– Blame child for injuries– Take child to different physician or hospital for

each injury– Parents were abused themselves or raised in

homes where excessive punishment was used– History of alcohol or drug abuse– Highly moralistic

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Emotional Abuse

Emotional Abuse—pattern of behavior that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth– Constant criticizing - Belittling– Insulting - Rejecting– Teasing - Failure to provide

necessary nurturing

78% of our prison population

were abused as children

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Emotional Abuse

Observable signs of abuse– Inappropriately aggressive– Destructive to others– Suffers from sleep or speech disorders– Demonstrates compulsions, obsessions, phobias,

hysterical outbursts– Child rocks, sucks thumb, bites self

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Emotional Abuse

Behavioral signs of abuse– Negative statements about self– Shy, passive, compliant– Lags in physical and emotional development– Self-destructive behavior– Highly aggressive– Cruel to others– Overly demanding

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Emotional Abuse

Possible signs of emotionally abusive parent or family member– Cold and rejecting– Withholds affection– Shows preferential treatment to one sibling over

another– Blames or puts down child– Indifferent to child’s problems or welfare

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Neglectful Abuse

Neglect—failure to provide a minimum degree of care in supplying the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, education or medical care; failure to provide proper supervision, therefore allowing child to be harmed or in danger

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Neglectful Abuse

Observable signs– Dirty skin– Offensive body odor– Unwashed, uncombed hair– Tattered, under-or oversized and unclean clothing– Dressed in clothing that is inappropriate to

weather or situation– Frequently left unsupervised or alone for periods

of time*

*Most common cause ofchild death

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Neglectful Abuse

Poor Health– Drowsiness, fatigue– Puffiness under eyes– Frequent, untreated

upper respiratory infections

– Infected cuts, lacerations

– Frequent diarrhea

Malnutrition– Begging for/stealing

food– Frequent hunger– Rummaging through

garbage for food– Obesity– Gorging self

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Neglectful Abuse

– Poor responsiveness– Rocks, bangs head,

sucks hair, thumb, finger

– Tears at body– Does not turn to parent

for help or comfort– Lacks interest,

curiosity– Does not often smile,

cry, laugh, play or relate to others

– Cries easily– Has no lunch or lunch

money– Needs dental care,

glasses– Falls asleep in class– Daydreams often– Sees self as failure– Troublesome at

school– Withdrawn/overactive

Signs in infants/toddlers Signs in children

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Neglectful Abuse

Signs of parents and families– Fails to keep appointments and/or refuses help

from school or other– Abuses alcohol/drugs– History of chronic illness– Gives impression of resignation and apathy– Lifestyle of relative isolation– History of abuse or neglect as a child– Promises but does not follow through– Failure to provide supervision of children

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Abusers are…

FamilyFriendsNeighbors

Child abuse occurs across all social levels: racial, ethnic, religious, economic

“…many abusers genuinely love

their children, but they find themselves

caught in life situations

beyond their control…”

--National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse

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Effects on Children

Guilt Violation Loss of control Lowered self-esteem Fear of further abuse Fear of future relationships turning abusive Feeling of wrong-doing

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Long-term Effects

Emotional problems

Behavioral problems

80% of substance abusers were abused as children

78% of our prison population were abused as children

95% of prostitutes were sexually abused as children

1 in every 4 girls and 1 in every 6 boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18

Poor performance in school

Further abuse

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Remember the risk factors!– Seem to be having economic, housing or

personal problems– Are isolated from their family or community– Have difficulty controlling anger or stress– Are dealing with physical or mental health issues– Abuse alcohol or drugs– Appear uninterested in the care, nourishment of

safety of their children

Review

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Recognize warning signs!– Nervousness around adults– Aggression towards others– Inability to stay awake or concentrate– Sudden, dramatic changes in personality– Unnatural interest in sex– Frequent bruises or injuries, often unexplainable– Low self-esteem– Poor hygiene

Review

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Learn to recognize warning signs, and pay special attention to families with substantial risk factors

Lend a helping hand to families at risk– Offer to baby-sit while parents have some time alone– Run errands if needed– Lend an ear if they need to talk

Review

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Child Abuse

To learn more about the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, visit

International Child Abuse Network

www.yesican.org/definitionsCAPTA.html

or contact:

National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse & Neglect

PO Box 1182 Washington, DC 20013-1182

(800) FYI-3366 (703) 385-7565

www.calib.com/nccanch

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Reporting Child Abuse

To report a suspected child abuse, call:USA National Child Abuse Hotline toll free at

1-800-4-A-CHILD

(1-800-422-4453; TDD 1-800-2-A-CHILD)

OR go to

www.preventchildabuse.org/help/report_abuse.html

to find more government agencies or social services that can help

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Cases of child abuse and neglect are governed by individual states; therefore, laws for reporting child abuse are different in each state– In some states, all citizens are mandated to report any

suspicion of child abuse– In some states, only doctors, teachers, EMT’s and

sometimes clergymen are required to report suspected abuse

– If abuse is not reported, it can lead to fines or even jail time

Reporting Child Abuse

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/rpt_abu.htm Visitto find your state’s toll free number to learn more about

reporting child abuse in your area

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Quiz

1. What are the four types of child abuse?

2. Name two reasons children might not tell anyone about a sexual abuse encounter.

3. What is the definition for emotional abuse?

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Quiz

4. Child abuse occurs mainly in lower income families in a specific ethnic group.

5. All of the following are effects of abuse on children except:

6. Physical abuse can be something that happens accidentally.

A. True B. False

A. Guilt B. Fear of further abuseC. Lowered self-esteem D. Loss of appetite

A. True B. False

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Acknowledgements

Safe Child: Child Abuse, 2002. www.safechild.orgNational Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect, 2002.

www.calib.com/nccanch International Child Abuse Network, 2002.

www.yesican.org/definitionsCAPTA.htmlUS Department of Health & Human Services: Children’s Bureau,

2002. www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/rpt_abu.htmPrevent Child Abuse America, 2002. www.preventchildabuse.org

© MMIII, MMIVCEV Multimedia, Ltd.

Production CoordinatorsAllison MangoldTreena Aston

Production ManagerGeoff Scott

Executive ProducerG.W. Davis