By Denise Turney

Bruises, swollen limbs or a swollen face and fractures on a child are signs not to be ignored. Although these signs aren’t certainties that a child has been abused, they are signs that something is amiss where a child dwells or spends time. Should you witness potential child Abuse signs, make the child top priority.

Stop child abuse now

You could speak with the child and simply ask how they got injured. If your child is a friend of the injured child, your daughter or son could also ask how the child got injured. Children may trust another child well before they place anymore trust in an adult. Definitely alert authorities, a step that you could take anonymously. Call 911 if a child has been badly injured. Don’t wait or just pray about it.

Medical professionals, teachers and school administrators receive training on how to identify and respond to child Abuse Signs. They could be a good resource to help stop child abuse. The important thing is to take action, do something to protect and care for the child. Taking action on behalf of an abused child is a sign of care, for the child, families and the community at large.

This is because, when left undetected and absent effective, caring response, child abuse not only forces a developing human being to suffer in isolation and silence, it creates deep emotional and psychological wounds. Sexual child abuse, emotional child abuse and abandonment may be easier to hide than physical child abuse. Yet, the scars from these child abuse forms can be deep and far reaching.

Signs of child abuse aren’t always easy to detect

Signs of sexual child abuse can be hard to detect due to the fact that the abused child may work hard to keep the abuse secret. Shame, guilt and embarrassment are three emotions that even hard wired adults try to avoid. Imagine how much a child would want to steer clear of these emotions. Yet, there are signs that a child might have been sexually abused. These signs include:

• Talking with children about age inappropriate sexual fantasies, ideas or facts
• Asking children sexually charged questions
• Showing children pornography
• Touching children inappropriately, even if the child does not shout “No” or run away
• Having sex with a child (it doesn’t matter if the child doesn’t protest)

Emotional and abandonment abuse ranges from belittling or bullying children to calling children derogatory names. This type of abuse can have lifelong effects. During childhood, humans undergo extensive psychological conditioning. Name calling, belittling and abandonment can set a child up for serious self-esteem issues.

This type of abuse can also make it hard for adults to form healthy emotional attachments. Examples of abandonment are forcing children to stay in their room or a certain part of the house alone and leaving children at home alone for hours or a day or longer.

Showing more respect for a boyfriend or girlfriend could be another form of abandonment, especially if a child is merely fed and sheltered while a parent enjoys the honeymoon stage of a new relationship. A parent allowing their boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse to abuse a child is also abandonment and neglect.

Abuse from childhood to adulthood

Children who wear long sleeved clothes during the height of summer may be hiding bruises or scars. Other less direct signs of child abuse include:

• Children withdrawing from family and friends
• Children finding it hard to make or keep friends
• Low self-esteem
• Fear of other people
• Expecting to be ridiculed or bullied
• Not wanting to go home
• Running away from home
• Constant headaches or stomach aches
• Over eating or under eating
• Sleeping for long periods or staying in bed most of the day
• Insomnia
• Seeking constant approval or praise
• Fear of trying new things due to fear of being shouted at for making a mistake

Love Pour Over Me gives a glimpse of what can happen to an adult who has suffered years of abuse. It takes Raymond decades to stop being afraid of love. That wait comes at a price for Raymond and real life child abuse victims. Do what you can to stop child abuse now.

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Child Abuse Signs