Preventing Child Abuse
By B. Dear

One of the most tragic things that can happen in a child’s life is child abuse. The damage caused by the offender is severely damaging to the child and the after effects are long lasting often affecting the child through adolescence in their adult years. Every day, children are abused or neglected and have no way to escape the horrific situations that they are in.

Statistics show that a case of child abuse is reported every ten second and 3 children die per day from child abuse.

Child abuse can be defined as: "The physical or psychological mistreatment of a child by his or her parents, guardians, or other adults."

If you work or spend time around children, you may be able to spot and intervene in a child abuse situation. By reporting child abuse, you may just be saving a child’s life or at least the quality of it.

There are three types of child abuse: Physical, Emotional and Neglect. We will list the signs and symptoms of each below.

Here are some signs to look for that may indicate Physical abuse:

• Unexplained bruises on the face, throat, arms, buttocks, thighs, or lower back in patterns or shapes that indicate that an instrument (belt buckle, electrical cord, household utensil, etc.) was used on the child.
• Unexplained burns, especially on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, abdomen, buttocks. Rope burns may indicate that the child was bound. Also, look for immersion burns, where the child’s limbs may have been put into hot water, (producing glove or mitten shaped burns) on the hands and feet.
• Infected burns indicating a lack of medical treatment
• Extremes in behavior (withdrawal, aggression, repression, or depression)
• Substance abuse, truancy, running away, or fear of going home
• Fear of the parent or caretaker
• Unusual shyness or wariness of physical contact
• Unbelievable or inconsistent explanations of injuries
• Infants that lay unusually still while surveying surroundings

 Here are some signs to look for that may indicate Emotional Abuse:

• Eating disorders such as obesity or anorexia
• Speech disorders such as stuttering or stammering
• Slow development of speech or motor skills
• Weight or height substantially below the norm
• Infants with flat or bald spots on head
• Nervous disorders including rashes, hives, facial tics, stomach aches
• Habit disorders such as biting, rocking, and head-banging
• Age-inappropriate behaviors such as bed wetting, wetting, or soiling
• Cruel behavior, where the child gets pleasure from hurting children, adults or animals, or if the child seems to get pleasure from being mistreated
• Behavioral extremes, such as overly compliant-demanding; withdrawn-aggressive; listless-excitable

 Here are some signs to look for that may indicate Neglect:

• Poor hygiene to include lice, scabies, severe or untreated diaper rash, bedsores, or body odor
• Squinting
• Tattered, inappropriate clothing or missing key articles of clothing such as underwear, socks, or shoes. The child may be overdressed or under dressed for climate conditions
• Untreated injuries or illness
• Lack of immunizations
• Evidence of prolonged exposure to elements such as excessive sunburn, insect bites, or colds
• Height and weight significantly below age level

• Chronic absenteeism or unusual school attendance
• Chronic hunger, tiredness, or lethargy.
• Begging for or collecting leftovers
• The child assumes adult responsibilities.
• The child states that there is no caretaker at home