Child Abuse Study Guide
Child Abuse: An Overview
Definition
Child abuse, also known as child endangerment or maltreatment, involves physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child, typically by a parent or caregiver.
Scope
Child abuse (or maltreatment) can occur at the hands of parents, caregivers, within communities, at schools or other organizations. Child maltreatment is an umbrella term covering neglect, exploitation, and trafficking.
Types of Child Abuse
- Physical abuse
- Psychological abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Medical child abuse
- Neglect
Physical Abuse
Definition
An action by a caregiver that purposely causes physical injury or puts a child at risk of harm.
Examples
Hitting, shaking, pushing, punching, grabbing, or kicking.
Signs and Symptoms
- Burns (e.g., cigarette burns, which leave circular scars)
- Bruises (especially on babies who are unable to walk yet)
- Fractures (particularly if the explanation doesn't match the injury or if there are multiple fractures at different stages of healing or in unusual places like ribs or spine)
- Human bites
- Chunks of hair pulled off the skull
- Head injuries and broken bones
Psychological Abuse or Maltreatment
Definition
Occurs when an adult caring for a child judges, threatens, puts down, or rejects the child, or withholds love so the child feels worthless. It impairs a child's self-esteem or emotional well-being and includes verbal or emotional assault such as belittling or berating a child, as well as isolating, ignoring, or rejecting a child.
Indicators
- Developmental delays
- Bed wetting
- Severe depression
- Anxiety
- Self-harming behavior
- Overly compliant behavior
Medical Child Abuse
Definition
Also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, it occurs when a caregiver repeatedly brings a child to a facility and exaggerates, invents, or induces symptoms of illness, or gives false information about the child's illness, putting the child at risk of injury and unnecessary medical care.
Detection
Symptoms are often not easily detected by physical examination but through history. Symptoms are present only when the person initiating the symptoms is providing care.
Neglect
Definition
Inability to provide adequate love, care, food, clothing, housing, cleanliness, education, dental, or medical attention.
Observable Signs
- Poor growth
- Excessive weight gain or loss with medical complications that are not being addressed
- Poor personal cleanliness
- Lack of clothing or supplies to meet physical needs
- Poor record of school attendance
- Nonorganic failure to thrive