Recognizing The Signs
August 19, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Leave a Comment
Recognize the signs of child abuse
The effects of child abuse and neglect are not always easy to identify and people who abuse can go to great lengths to hide it. Many of the common signs of child abuse can be confused with normal, everyday happenings. Adults need to be aware that a change in a child’s behavior may be caused by child abuse.
Recognizing the signs in children
The following are some of the general indicators of child abuse and neglect that you may observe in children or young people. The presence of one or more of these factors does not by itself prove that child abuse is happening. However, it can alert you to the possibility of child abuse. The likelihood of child abuse is occurring may be higher when more indicators are present.
- A child or young person tells you that he or she is being abused or hurt
- You notice sudden or unexplained changes in mood or behavior of a child or young person
- You notice frequent or unexplained bruises or injuries on a child or young person
- You see a child or young person with low self-esteem
- You see a child or young person with poor hygiene
- You notice that a child or young person becomes withdrawn or unresponsive
- You notice a child or young person with a lot of exaggerated fears
- You notice that a child or young person seems to lack trust in familiar adults
- You notice that a child or young person has serious difficulties relating to peers and/or adults
- You see a child or young person who is always angry or aggressive
- You find out that a child or young person has difficulty sleeping and experiences nightmares
- You notice a child or young person experience a change in eating patterns
Recognize the signs in parents
The following are just some of the general indicators of child abuse and neglect that you may observe in the behavior of parents or care givers. The presence of one or more of these factors does not by itself prove that abuse is happening. However, it can alert you to the possibility of abuse. The possibility of abuse may be higher if more indicators are present.
- You notice that a parent seems unconcerned about the child’s welfare at home or school
- You notice that there is domestic violence between adults in a household
- You notice that a parent feels constantly stressed and tells you they have hurt his/her child
- You see that a parent seems secretive or tries to isolate the child from other children
- You notice that a parent constantly talks about the child in negative ways
- You notice that a parent frequently blames, belittles or insults the child
- You notice that a parent avoids talking about the child’s injuries or gives conflicting explanations for them
- You notice that a parent is suffering from depression or other serious mental illness that may be impacting on their ability to care for their children
- You notice that a parent is drinking alcohol excessively or abusing prescription medication and is not able to take care of his/her children properly
- You see or hear that a parent is using illegal drugs and is not able to take care of his/her children properly
Recognize the signs in yourself
As parents or others charged with rearing chidlren, we can relate to sometimes feeling tested to the limits of our parenting ability. Sometimes we can feel out of control. In other situations, we can have personal problems that stop us from caring for our children.
It is your responsibility to recognize when you need help before the harm happens.
If you feel you may hurt, or have hurt your child, it is important that you seek immediate assistance.
STOP what you are doing.
THINK about how you and your child are affected by what is happening.
DO something to change things.
GET SUPPORT to make the changes.
Seeking support and assistance can take courage. Taking this step, however, is critical for you and your child.
Seeking support and assistance reflects:
- your love for your child
- your ability to appreciate there is a problem
- your desire for things to be different for your family
- your commitment to working towards changing things for the better.
Speak to someone you trust and feel can help you.
Find a list of support services that may be able to assist you and your family. Keep trying until you find a service that can help you.
Things can change for the better for you and your family. It is up to you to take the next step.
Help Yourself Help The Children
August 19, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Leave a Comment
All parents need support. All parents need information.
All parents need support and information from time to time and for a variety of reasons. When a parent seeks out assistance, he/she is exercising a vital parenting role.
Local and National Help Lines
National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453
Utah Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline
1-800- 678-9399
Things You Can Do In Your Community
August 12, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Leave a Comment
Raise awareness about child abuse by talking to friends and neighbors about child abuse and how to prevent it.
Help community groups, clubs or organizations, like the Utah Valley Family Support and Treatment Center, to distribute copies of this booklet throughout the community.
Support local efforts to help families, such as fundraising for a local family charity or a food or clothing drive.
Get involved with your child’s school. Find out what they are doing to help prevent child abuse and neglect and how you might help.
Raise the issue of children’s safety and protection in your local community groups, sporting clubs and service groups. As a group, you may be able to improve community awareness about the problem of child abuse and ensure the safety of children in your area by staging local events about children and their need for protection.
Ensure organizations and clubs that have contact with children in your community have policies that outline safe and respectful ways of interacting with children. These guidelines should address bullying, discipline of children, sexism and racism. There should also be procedures for supporting children if they disclose that they are being hurt or abused by an adult involved in the organization.
Ensure organizations and clubs in your local community that have contact with children have policies regarding appropriate recruitment and screening processes, including mandatory police checks for staff and volunteers.
Support organizations or businesses that are committed to promoting the protection of children in your community.
