April 04, 2018
National Childhood Abuse Prevention Month
April is National Childhood Abuse Prevention Month, which is a very important but very difficult month to take in. A staggering five children die from child abuse everyday, which makes this a national epidemic that unequivocally our attention. We’ll be sharing information throughout the month to spread knowledge and awareness, and to help illuminate how you can spot child abuse and report it if you see it.
The American Society for the Positive Care of Children has a host of valuable information, and today we’re going to talk a bit about indicators of child abuse, and the behaviors/physical symptoms you should pay attention to.
Per their website, childhood abuse comes in forms more than just physical, which is why there are key behavioral responses to look out for as well.
Indicators of physical abuse could be: unexplained bruises or welts, burns, fractures, lacerations and abrasions.
Indicators of behavioral abuse could be: aggressiveness, wariness of adults, withdrawal, a fear of their parents and/or going home.
Indicators of physical neglect could be: malnutrition, constantly fatigued or hungry, unattended supervision, inappropriate dress, getting to school exceedingly early or staying late.
Emotional trial maltreatment can manifest itself: in behaviors that are too childlike or too adult, thumb sucking, habit or conduct disorders, neurotic traits, too aggressive or too compliant.
Indicators of sexual abuse could be: difficulty walking or sitting, torn, bruised, or bleeding genital areas, venereal disease, pregnancy, unwilling to change clothing in front of others, poor relationships, bizarre sexual behavior.
These are only a few of the behaviors for each type of abuse, the website goes into more comprehensive detail. But as you can see, there are many behavioral cross-overs, as well as behaviors that we might want to chalk up to “just being a kid,” or “just being a teenager.” No one wants to assume abuse first, it’s a gutting reality for any parent, teacher, or caregiver. But this month is a strong and powerful reminder that if anything — anything at all — seems off about a child in your care, it is critical that pay you attention and immediately get them professional help. We’ll talk more about that in later blog posts, but your school counselor, pediatrician, or the National Child Abuse Hotline 1.800.4.A.CHILD (1.800.422.4453) are all resources you should have at the ready. It is not a situation you or your child should ever have to endure alone.