What is Child Abuse?
Child abuse is an act by parents or caregivers which endangers a child or young person's physical or emotional health or development. Child abuse can be a single incident, but usually takes place over time.
In Victoria, under the Children Youth and Families Act 2005 a child or young person is a person under eighteen years of age.
Types of Abuse
Physical Abuse occurs when a child suffers or is likely to suffer significant harm from an injury inflicted by a child's parent or caregiver. The injury may be inflicted intentionally or may be the inadvertent consequence of physical punishment or physically aggressive treatment of a child. The injury may take the form of bruises, cuts, burns or fractures.
Sexual Abuse occurs when a person uses power or authority over a child to involve the child in sexual activity and the child's parent or caregiver has not protected the child. Physical force is sometimes involved. Child sexual abuse involves a wide range of sexual activity. It includes fondling of the child's genitals, masturbation, oral sex, vaginal or anal penetration by a penis, finger or other object, or exposure of the child to pornography.
Emotional Abuse occurs when a child's parent or caregiver repeatedly rejects the child or uses threats to frighten the child. This may involve name calling, put downs or continual coldness from the parent or caregiver, to the extent that it significantly damages the child's physical, social, intellectual or emotional development.
Neglect is the failure to provide the child with the basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, shelter, medical attention or supervision, to the extent that the child's health and development is, or is likely to be, significantly harmed.
What are the causes of child abuse?
There is not any single fact which causes child abuse; abuse usually occurs in families where there is a combination of risk factors. Abuse and neglect occur most often in families who are under pressure and lack support. Most abuse other than sexual abuse occurs in families to which some, or all, of the following apply:
- Poverty
- Lack of education
- Serious marital problems
- Frequent changes of addresses
- Violence between family members
- Lack of support from the extended family
- Loneliness and social isolation
- Unemployment
- Inadequate housing
In some cases the abuser may also display the following:
- Very high expectations of the child and what the child should achieve
- The parent may have been abused as a child
- A lack of knowledge and skills in bringing up children
- Low self esteem and self confidence
- Depression
- Alcohol and/or drug abuse
- Mental or physical ill health
- Work pressures
Certain community attitudes may encourage child abuse. These include:
- Acceptance of the use of violence and force
- Acceptance of physical punishment of children
- Acceptance of parents "ownership" of children and their right to treat children as they see fit
- Racism
- Inequality between men and women
Who are the abusers?
With child sexual abuse, the overwhelming majority of abusers are male, and the majority of victims are females although many boys are also abused. Sexual abuse is associated with attitudes to women and sex that men learn from a young age as well as unequal power relationships between men and women and adults and children.
Both men and women commit physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. It often depends on which parent spends most time with the child. Child abuse usually takes place in the home with someone that the child knows rather than with strangers.
Who is likely to be abused?
Abused children come from all levels of society, although most abused children who are reported to authorities are from families where there is high mobility, a lack of education, loneliness, poverty, unemployment, inadequate housing or social isolation.
With physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, boys are somewhat more at risk than girls. However there are more girls sexually abuse than boys. Abuse may be directed at only one child in the family.
Children can be abused at any age. Some children are more at risk of abuse, eg. under 2 years of age and children with disabilities. Many adolescents are victims of child abuse and neglect. Sometimes abuse commences during adolescence as parents may experience difficulties in dealing with the adolescent's behaviour and desire for independence.
What are the effects of child abuse?
Abuse is harmful to children. Children may experience a range of emotional, psychological and physical problems and trauma as a result of being abused or neglected.
All forms of abuse are likely to result in emotional problems for the child, in particular, a lack of self esteem and distrust of adults. The longer the abuse goes on, the more serious are the effects. Abused and neglected children are more likely than other children to be self destructive or aggressive, to abuse drugs and/or alcohol, or become young offenders or "street kids". In some situations abuse and neglect may result in permanent physical damage.
In the longer term, adults who have been abused as children are also more likely to abuse their own children and often experience difficulties in forming satisfactory relationships with other adults.
Treatment and counselling services for children who have been abused assist in working through the trauma and in reducing the effects of the abuse. The most serious effects are likely to occur when no one takes action to stop the abuse and to protect the child.
How can abuse and neglect be recognised?
Behavioural or physical signs which assist in recognising child abuse are known as indicators. A single indicator can be as important an indicator as the presence of several indicators. A child's behaviour is likely to be affected if he/she is under stress. There can be many causes of stress, including child abuse, and it is important to find out specifically what is causing the stress.
Physical Abuse
Physical indicators include:
- Bruises, burns, sprains, dislocations, bites, cuts
- Fractured bones, especially in an infant where a fracture is unlikely to occur accidentally
- Poisoning
- Internal injuries
Possible behavioural indicators include:
- Showing wariness or distrust of adults
- Wearing long sleeved clothes on hot days (to hide bruising or other injury)
- Demonstrating fear of parents and of going home
- Becoming fearful when other children cry or shout
- Being excessively friendly to strangers
- Being very passive and compliant
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is not usually identified through physical indicators. Often the first sign is when a child tells someone they trust that they have been sexually abused. However the presence of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, or vaginal or anal bleeding or discharge may indicate sexual abuse.
One or more of these behavioural indicators may be present:
- Child telling someone that sexual abuse has occurred
- Complaining of headaches or stomach pains
- Experiencing problems with schoolwork
- Displaying sexual behaviour or knowledge which is unusual for the child's age
- Showing behaviour such as frequent rocking, sucking and biting
- Experiencing difficulties in sleeping
- Having difficulties in relating to adults and peers
Emotional Abuse
There are few physical indicators, although emotional abuse may cause delays in emotional, mental, or even physical development.
Possible behavioural indicators include:
- Displaying low self esteem
- Tending to be withdrawn, passive, tearful
- Displaying aggressive or demanding behaviour
- Being highly anxious
- Showing delayed speech
- Acting like a much younger child, eg. soiling, wetting pants
- Displaying difficulties in relating to adults and peers
Neglect
Physical indicators include:
- Frequent hunger
- Malnutrition
- Poor hygiene
- Inappropriate clothing, eg. Summer clothes in winter
- Left unsupervised for long periods
- Medical needs not attended to
- Abandoned by parents
Possible behavioural indicators include:
- stealing food
- staying at school outside school hours
- often being tired, falling asleep in class
- abusing alcohol or drugs
- displaying aggressive behaviour
- not getting on well with peers
The presence of indicators such as those described may alert us to the possibility that a child is being abused. It is important that anyone who has concerns that a child or young person is in need of protection contacts a local Child Protection Service for assistance and advice.
