Every year more than 5 millions of child abusing’s cases are reported. It’s a terrible fact about child Abuse that all the struggles are still not enough to save children.

What is child abuse?

Child abuse is when a child is harmed, killed or emotionally hurt or at the risk of serious injury through action or verbal. There are many forms of child maltreatment, including Neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and emotional abuse.

Children are the very sensitive and important part of society. They are the future of any nation but if the child is not safe or at risk then what will be the nation development.  Physical abuse of a child is when a parent or caretaker, guardian or any stranger causes any non-accidental physical injury to a child. You can feel sudden change in behaviour or physical change in child when he is abused. 28.3% of adult’s report being physically abused as a child.

Physical Abuse:

Striking, kicking, burning, biting, hair pulling, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping or any other action that injures a child is included in child abuse. Even it is not meant to give harm to a child but unintentionally the child is injured it is abuse. Physical discipline from a parent that does not injure or impair a child is not considered abuse but still always try to use non-violent alternatives to discipline your child.

What can be Physical abuse :

• Bruises, blisters, burns, cuts and scratches
• Internal injuries, brain damage
• Dislocated joints, Broken bones, sprains
• Emotional and psychological strike
• Lifelong injury, or injury lead to death

Major Reasons that lead the child to abuse:

• Can’t or won’t explain injury of child, or explains it in a senseless way
• Aggression towards child
• Nominate child liar, untrustworthy or evil
• Delays or prevents medical care for child
• Takes child to different doctors or hospitals
• Has violent history

Signs of physical child abuse:

Physical:

• Any injury to a child who is not crawling yet
• Visible and severe injuries
• Injuries at different stages of healing
• On different surfaces of the body
• Unexplained or explained in a way that doesn’t make sense
• Distinctive shape
• Frequency, timing and history of injuries (frequent, after weekends, vacations, school absences)

Behavioural signs:

• Aggressiveness
• Fear, withdrawal, depression, anxiety
• Feel fear from adults
• Wears long sleeves out of season
• Violent themes in fantasy, art, etc.
•  Insomnia
• Reports injury, severe discipline
• Extremes Emotional Behaviour

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse occurs when an adult uses a child for sexual purposes or involves a child in sexual acts. It also includes when a child who is older or more powerful uses another child for sexual excitement. This means a child is forced or talked into sex or sexual activities by another person unwillingly. Studies show that one in four girls and one in eight boys are sexually abused till they reached to 18.

Sexual abuse of children may includes:

• Non-contact abuse
• Making a child view a sex act
• Making children perform a sex act
• Exploitation
• Child prostitution and child pornography
• Making a child view or show sex organs
• Inappropriate sexual talk
• Contact abuse
• Fondling and oral sex
• Penetration

Signs of sexual abuse in parent or Guardian:

• Parent fails to supervise child
• Unstable adult presence
• Jealous/possessive parent
• Sexual relationships troubled
• Parent relies on child for emotional support

Signs of sexual child abuse:

Physical:

• Difficulty sitting, walking, bowel problems
• Bleeding, bruises, pain, swelling, itching on sensitive area
• Frequent urinary tract infections or yeast infections
• Any sexually transmitted disease, infection or related symptoms

Behavioural:

• Shy to change clothes in front of anyone
• Depressed, anxious
• Eating disorders
• Aggression, poor peer relationships
• Lack of confidence, lack of concentration
• Reveal stubborn Behaviour
• Change in study report
• Substance abuse, running away, recklessness, suicide attempts
• Sleep disturbance, fear of bedtime, nightmares, bed wetting
• Sexual acting out
• Unusual or repetitive soothing behaviours
• Sexual behaviour or knowledge that is advanced or unusual
• Reports sexual abuse

Emotional Abuse:

When a child is abused or harmed mentally or emotionally or in social development, is called emotional Abuse. Most often it is a behavioural change that cusses damage with the passage of time. 10.6% of adult’s report being emotionally abused as a child.

Emotional abuse can include:

• Rejection/ignorance: when a child is being treated as unwanted, unloved, ignored, or unimportant. Most parent don’t listen to their problem or they will cuff off in conversation that really hurts the child feelings and disturb his mental and emotional health. Some time because of unattended a child shows rude behaviour and will be given names, he will be blamed, accused, criticised, punished. these all are the actions that makes a child to lose its Self-worth.
• Corrupting: Engaging child in criminal acts, telling lies to justify actions or ideas, encouraging bad habits,
• Terrorising: Accusing, blaming, insulting, punishing with or threatening, harm or death, manipulating, taking advantage of a child’s weakness, yelling without reason can also lead child to Emotional disturbance.
• Isolating: Keeping high restriction on child keeping, restrict him from peers and positive activities,

Signs of emotional abuse in parent are

• Ignores, criticises, yells at or blames child
• Giving importance and affection with one sibling over another.
• Stormy relationships with other adults, disrespect for authority
• violence or abuse
• Mental illness, use of Alcohol

Signs of emotional child abuse:

Physical:

•  Poor Development
• Wetting bed, pants
• Disorders in speaking
• Health issues like ulcers, skin disorders
• Obesity and losing weight

Behavioural:

• Thumb Sucking, Nail biting,
• Learning disabilities and slow developmental
• Complaining again and again or defensive
• Extreme aggression, withdrawal
• Anxieties, phobias, sleep disorders
• Destructive behaviour like stealing, cheating lying
• Over age Behaviour or infantile

Negligence:

Neglecting a child can be in different ways. It can be when a parent or guardian shows more love and affection towards other child or cannot give proper time, or attention when it is needed for a child development. Child can be neglect in different ways Such as

• Physical neglect
• Emotional neglect
• Medical neglect
• Educational neglect

Physical Neglect:

A child is a very sensitive bud that need much care and supervision. A child must be provided with cloths, food, Clothing and safe shelter.

Examples of physical neglect:

• Deserting a child or refusing to take custody of a child who is under your care
• Leaving a child repeatedly in another’s custody for days or weeks at a time
• Failing to provide enough healthy food or drink
• Not providing clothes according to the weather
• Failing to ensure appropriate personal hygiene
• Poor supervision
• Keeping the child with an inappropriate caretaker

Emotional Neglect:

A child requires lot of care and affection to feel loved and be safe. If he is not treated well or shows following signs, must be treated

Examples of emotional neglect:

• Not giving proper affection and emotional support
• Keeping a child separate from friends and loved ones
• Revealing a child to extreme or violence
• Permitting a child to use drugs, use alcohol, or engage in crime

Medical Neglect:

In some situation parent may be neglect the child’s need of medical treatment because of religious or social reasons that may lead the child to danger. A child much be provided and protective with appropriate medical care for any injury or illness. Even time to time a proper medical check-up will be beneficial for a child’s proper development.

Some medical negligence’s are:

• Improper treatment or neglecting a child for any type of injury or illness.
• Not providing preventative medical and dental care
• Failing to follow medical recommendations for a child
• Not following medical prescription properly

Educational Neglect:

Parents and schools share responsibility for making sure that children have access to opportunities for academic success.

Examples of educational neglect:

• Allowing a child to miss too much school
• Not enrolling a child in school (or not providing comparable home-based education)
• Keeping a child from needed special education services

Signs of Child Neglect

There is no “smoking gun” for most child neglect. While even one instance of neglect can cause lifelong harm to a child, neglect often requires a pattern of behaviour over a period of time.

Signs in Child

Be careful if you observe these signs in your child

•  Inappropriate Clothing
• Often hungry, stockpiles food, seeks food
• Very low body weight, height for age
• Tired, sleepy,
• Hygiene problems, body odour
• Talks about caring for younger siblings
• Untreated medical and dental problems, incomplete immunisations
•  Incomplete homework, frequent changes of school

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