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What is Child or Young Person Abuse?
Types of Abuse and How to Spot Them
Abuse can happen to a child or young person at any age, from birth to when they have left school. It can happen in well-off families and in poor families; it can happen to black or white children and young people; it can happen to able-bodied children and young people or those with disabilities.
Abuse can happen because of the way adults or other children and young people behave towards a child or young person; it can also result from adults failing to provide proper care for the child or young person they look after. One child or young person may suffer different kinds of abuse at the same time
Types of Abuse and their Warning Signs
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Physical
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Neglect
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Sexual
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Emotional
Types of Abuse
Physical Abuse
This is when someone physically hurts or harms a child or young person. Hitting, squeezing, biting, or twisting a child or young person's arms or legs, can cause injuries like bruises, grazes, cuts or broken bones. Sometimes, someone burns a child or young person, perhaps by holding a part of their body against something very hot or by scalding. Violently shaking a baby can cause brain injuries, which can lead to permanent disability. Poisoning a child or young person - perhaps by giving them alcohol or drugs, and deliberately making them ill - is also physical abuse.
Warning signs:
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Any injuries at all to young babies who are not yet able to move on their own
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Bruises in places where you would not normally expect to find them on a child or young person
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Bruises which have a distinctive shape or pattern, like hand prints, grasp or finger marks, or belt marks
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Burns or scalds with clear outlines
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Bite marks - bruises like 'love bites'
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Bruising in or around the mouth, especially in babies
Neglect
Neglect can result when adults fail to meet the physical or emotional needs of the child or young person they are responsible for. All children and young people need food, clothing, warmth, love and attention, in order to grow and develop properly.
Warning signs:
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A child or young person who always appears dirty and smelly
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A child or young person who looks thin and ill
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A child or young person with illnesses which have not been treated
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Inadequate or unsuitable clothing for the weather conditions
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A child or young person who suffers repeated accidents
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A child or young person who does not respond when given attention
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A child or young person who craves attention and affection from any adult
Sexual Abuse
This is when someone forces or coerces a child or young person to take part in sexual activity which the child or young person does not really understand and to which the child or young person is not able to give informed consent. The abuser may use different methods to persuade the child or young person to cooperate, like bribery, threats or physical force. Sexual abuse can take many different forms, from touching to intercourse. Often, there will be no physical signs. It can happen to boys as well as girls. Sexual abuse can have long-lasting effects: some child or young person who have been abused in this way go on to abuse other child or young person; some find as they grow up that they are unable to have close relationships with other people; others deliberately harm themselves because they feel so bad about what has happened. Children or young people who are being sexually abused often tell an adult they trust – that person must be prepared to listen, hear and take action.
Warning signs:
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A child or young person who behaves in a sexual way
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A child or young person who has inappropriate sexual knowledge for their age
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Injuries or unusual appearance to private areas of the body
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A child or young person who seems to take on an 'adult' role in the family
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A child or young person who has 'secrets' with adults
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A child or young person who hints at sexual activity through words, play or drawings.
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Truanting, running away from home
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse occurs when a child or young person's basic needs for love, security, praise and recognition are left unmet. It may result in a child or young person becoming withdrawn, nervous, unhappy or lacking in confidence; a child or young person may be isolated and find it difficult to make friends, perhaps because they don't behave like other child or young person.
Emotional abuse may happen when an adult constantly behaves in an uncaring or hostile way towards a child or young person, perhaps by bullying, rejecting, frightening, criticising or scape-goating the child or young person. An adult may behave in an inconsistent way all of the time so the child or young person never knows what reaction to expect. Some adult carers can be very possessive or over protective towards a child or young person. In severe cases, children or young people may be subjected to cruel treatment and punishment like being locked up in cold dark surroundings. Basic needs like food, drink and warmth may be withheld or have to be 'earned'.
Warning signs:
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A child or young person who is constantly blamed unfairly for things that go wrong
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A child or young person who is made to carry out tasks inappropriate to their age
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A child or young person who is not allowed to do normal child or young personhood activities
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A child or young person who is unhappy, nervous, withdrawn, isolated
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