Child Maltreatment

Flashcards about Child Maltreatment

Define Child Maltreatment

Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation; an act or failure to act that presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

TDFPS Definition of Physical Abuse

Deliberate actions resulting in injuries to a child or genuine threats of such actions, or concerns about physical injuries of an unexplained or suspicious nature.

Signs to suspect physical abuse according to TDFPS

Frequent injuries without adequate explanations, complaints of pain without obvious injury, burns or bruises in unusual patterns, lack of reaction to pain, aggressive/withdrawn behavior, fear of going home, injuries appearing after absence, unreasonable clothing.

TDFPS Definition of Sexual Abuse

Sexual indecency, assault, or aggravated sexual assault; failing to prevent sexual conduct; using the child for obscene material creation.

Signs to suspect sexual abuse according to TDFPS

Physical signs of STDs, genital area injuries, pregnancy in a young girl, difficulty in sitting/walking, extreme fear of adults of a certain sex, sexual comments/behaviors, knowledge of sexual relations beyond expected age, sexual victimization of other children.

TDFPS Definition of Emotional Abuse

An emotional or mental injury caused by the parent or caregiver that results in an observable effect on the child, affecting the child's psychological state.

Signs to suspect emotional abuse according to TDFPS

Over compliance, low self-esteem, depression/anxiety/aggression, difficulty making friends, lagging development, caregiver who belittles the child.

TDFPS Definition of Trafficking

Labor trafficking involves forcing a child into unhealthy or harmful labor/services. Sex trafficking involves compensation for forcing a child into prostitution or sex acts.

TDFPS Definition of Neglect

Improper supervision that could have resulted in substantial harm; failure to seek/administer medical treatment; failure to provide necessary food, clothing, and shelter; abandonment and refusal to accept parental responsibility.

Signs to suspect neglect according to TDFPS

Obvious malnourishment, lack of cleanliness, torn/dirty clothing, stealing/begging for food, child unattended for long periods, need for medical/dental care, frequent tardiness/absence from school.

Child Maltreatment Factors

There is no single known cause, and it occurs across all socio-economic, religious, cultural, racial, and ethnic groups.

Four domains of child maltreatment risk factors

Parent/caregiver factors, family factors, child factors, and environmental factors.

List of Parent or Caregiver Factors

Personality characteristics, psychological well-being, history of maltreatment, substance abuse, attitudes/knowledge, and age.

List of Family Factors

Family structure, marital conflict/domestic violence, stress, and parent-child interaction.

List of Environmental Factors

Poverty/unemployment, social isolation/lack of support, and violent communities.

Child Fatalities 2016

According to data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), 49 States reported a total of 1,700 fatalities; 111 increase in fatalities from the previous year.

Protective Factors

Supportive relationships with relatives or friends can help minimize the risk of parents maltreating children, especially during stressful life events.

How Child Maltreatment effects the victim

Minor physical injuries, low self-esteem, attention disorders, poor peer relations to severe brain damage, extremely violent behavior, death.