All parents and caregivers do things that children and young people do not like but the term child abuse is used for things done that lead to serious and lasting harm.
Child abuse is all forms of physical and /or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or deprivation or commercial or other exploitation of any child or young person.
Four types of harm to children
Although it is not always possible to clearly isolate the types of harm to children, there are four main areas.
Physical abuse: injuries that are not an accident but come from hitting, throwing, shaking, beatings, forced burns and scalds
Sexual abuse: forced sexual contact, or sexual activity that is inappropriate for the child or young person’s age; often by a person in authority or someone the child or young person trusts
Neglect: failing to give children or young people enough food, shelter, clothing, love, adequate supervision or medical care – the ‘necessities of life’
Emotional abuse: a primary caregiver failing to provide a warm and developmentally appropriate upbringing
Children often experience several types of harm at the same time. Violence between adults in the home also harms children emotionally and may harm them physically. Children may also be harmed in the wider community through bullying, exploitation and institutional abuse.
^ TO TOP Examples of abusive behaviour
Some specific examples of child abuse are:
• spanking, slapping and hitting with the hand
• hitting with an object, such as a belt, shoe, paddle, ruler, extension cord or hairbrush
• shaking a baby
• throwing a child against a wall
• deliberately burning a child with a cigarette
• ridiculing and scaring a child
• touching a child’s body sexually
• showing a child pornography
• forcing a child to sit in a position for a long time
• forcing a child to eat harmful substances
• starving your child
• locking a child away
• forcing a child to ‘hold on’
• not providing adequate food, warmth or clothing
• rejecting or ignoring them
• yelling and screaming at them
• putting them down and calling them names.
Who harms children and young people?
There isn’t an identikit model for people who harm children. Abuse can happen anywhere: in any suburb, and in rural and urban areas. Abusers can be men or women. They can be any age, from an elderly person to someone the same age as the child or young person. Often the abuser is known to the child and may be a member of the family or a family friend. People who harm children need help. They often have a lot of personal difficulties and can be overwhelmed by parenting demands or other feelings. It is worse if the parent or caregiver is isolated, stressed, unsupported, or was, or is currently being, abused.
^ TO TOP How do you know if a child or young person is being harmed?
It is not easy to tell if a child or young person is being harmed because children get physically injured through rough play or genuine accidents and the same signs and symptoms of other types of harm can also be caused by other problems.
It is worth checking out whether abuse is an issue if a child or young person:
• tells of, or hints about, abuse
• has unexplained physical injuries or injuries that are unusual for their age, such as rib fractures in young children
• shows behavioural extremes that are unusual in a child or young person – either overly aggressive, demanding and attention seeking, or unnaturally compliant, listless and withdrawn
• is a baby and does not grow or develop
• loses interest in school, work or friends
• is antisocial, delinquent or truanting
• has unexplained sadness or anger
• shows sexual knowledge or behaviour that is too grown up for them
• is reluctant to undress
• draws sexualised pictures
• has bruises, scalds, burns at different healing stages
• has marks on their bodies that match specific objects, such as hand marks, bite marks, power cords or broom handles.
What to say if a child tells you about abuse
• Always believe what they tell you.
• Invite them to tell you more but don’t interrogate them.
• Listen carefully to what the child or young person says.
• Keep calm.
• Keep you feelings – anger, fear, disgust – to yourself.
• Show your love, concern and support.
• Tell them that you are pleased that they have told you and that you are very sorry about what has happened.
• Assure them that you will do something to help.
• Seek help and advice.
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