Parents and carers

Abuse and neglect are forms of ill-treatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by not taking action to protect a child from harm.

Children may be harmed at home, by people living near their home (in their community) or by an adult who is responsible for caring for them in any place away from home such as school, nursery, college, sports and leisure centres, after-school clubs, youth clubs, which is why it is really important to work together to keep children safe. Sometimes children are abused by a stranger they have met over the internet. They may also be abused by another child or children.

Abuse may be physical, sexual, emotional or neglect. Some examples of each type of abuse are described below;

Physical Abuse

• Unexplained injuries, bruises or marks
• Injuries which have an unusual fracture or are in an unusual place on the body
• Fear, watchfulness, over anxiety to please
• Small round burns or bite marks
• Frequent time off from school

Sexual Abuse

• Sexual knowledge or comments that you wouldn’t expect from a child
• Sexual behaviour that you wouldn’t expect from a child
• Unexpected reactions, fear or wariness of people
• Repeated urinary or genital infections
• Pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases
• Self-harming or recurrent abdominal pains

Emotional Abuse

• Withdrawn, anxious behaviour, lack of self-confidence
• Self-harm and eating disorders
• Demanding or attention seeking behaviour
• Not wanting to communicate
• Repetitive, nervous behaviour such as rocking, hair twisting or scratching

Neglect

• Dirty, scruffy or unsuitable clothes
• No one seeks medical help when the child is ill or hurt
• The child is smelly, unclean hair and dirty nails
• Dental issues (bad breath)
• The child is left alone or with unsuitable carers
• The child is thin, pale and lacking energy
• Lots of accidents happen to the child
• The child is exposed to risks or dangers, such as drugs or needles being left around