Warning signs of child abuse

Child abuse can manifest itself in as many ways as there are reasons why people commit acts of abuse.  When dealing with suspicious situations, keep in mind that anyone can be an abuser.  It is not safe to assume that a family member, friend or any other person is not capable of abusing a child.  There are 4 major types of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional and neglect.

Physical abuse is any injury purposely inflicted upon a child.  This can include kicking, biting, violent shaking, hair pulling, choking, burning or beating.  Unfortunately, this list is not all inclusive as there are so many unimaginable ways that children are being abused.  If a child has numerous fractures, welts or bruises in various stages of healing, then there is good reason to be suspicious.  Unless you are an actual witness to an act of violence, there isn't any fool proof method to ensure that an injury does indeed indicate abuse; children get hurt all of the time while playing.  A good rule of thumb is that any "questionable" injuries are not likely to happen more than once.  If there is a pattern of injuries with explanations that don't add up, this is a serious red flag and should be brought to the attention of Social Services or some other form of authority in your area.

Emotional abuse is verbal abuse or an attitude that is degrading a child.  This can include name calling, screaming, shaming or negatively comparing a child to another "good" child.  Emotional abuse can have long lasting effects on the social and mental health development of a child.

Neglect is failing to provide for a child's basic needs.  This can include inappropriate clothing for the weather, unhealthy food (or no food at all), lack of supervision, denial of medical care to a sick or injured child or denial of love and affection.

In most cases, abused children will not just come out and tell you that they are being abused.  There is a fear of with might happen to them if they tell and possibly even a feeling of betraying the abuser.  Some children are lead to believe that the abuse is their fault and so they feel ashamed to tell anyone.  However, there are some signs you can keep on eye out for (other than the physical marks themselves).  Following is a list of some of those signs:

-withdrawal from family and friends

-sleeplessness

-irrational fears

-depression

-anxiety

-change in weight

-nightmares

-anger

-low self-esteem

-privacy issues.

This list includes only a few signs that can point to abuse.  If a child has a couple of these signs, that does not necessarily mean that a child is being abused.  Also, all abused children do not exhibit these signs.

No reason is ever a good enough reason to abuse a child.  People who were abused as children sometimes find themselves in a never-ending cycle of abuse.  People who are addicted to any type of substances, or who live under a great deal of stress such as poverty, can find themselves abusing a child.  Parents who move frequently and don't have any medical records for their children, may be hiding something.  Anything that seems suspicious is a possible clue.

Reporting child abuse can be quite a sticky situation and most people would prefer to stay out of it, but for a child's sake, it is better to be safe than sorry.  Look in you phone book for Social Services or other local agencies that deal with abused children -- most of the time you can call in you suspicion without even leaving them your name.

The best way to help an abused child or preventing it from happening to your child is by educating yourself and watching for the signs.  Teach your child what is and is not acceptable from others and believe your child if they tell you that something is wrong.  Children can't always speak for themselves, so we have to speak up for them.