Safeguarding children implies recognising signs that children are in danger of being harmed. The Children Act (1989) places a duty on Local Authorities to intervene when suspicion is raised that a child is suffering or I at risk of suffering significant harm. Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006) proposes 4 categories of abuse, to which bullying can be added as a fifth type according to the NSPCC (2009).
– physical abuse: any action causing physical suffering, such as hitting, shaking, throwing, burning, drowning, suffocating.
– emotional abuse: maltreatment impairing a child’s emotional development, such as inappropriate expectations (too high or too low), exclusion, rejection, belittling, tormenting or taunting, limiting social interactions or experiences. Some emotional abuse is present in all forms of ill-treatment.
– sexual abuse: forcing or enticing a child under the age of 18 to take part in or witness any sexual activity, involving contact and non-contact activities.
– neglect: failure to meet a child’s basic needs, resulting in development delays, whether physical, intellectual, emotional or social.
– bullying: intentionally and repeatedly causing distress to others, by means of physical harm, verbal, written or emotional manipulations. (see tasks 16 to 18)
It is the responsibility and duty of all adults working with children to recognise the signs of potential abuse. Every educational setting sets out child protection procedures in their Safeguarding policy and provides their staff with regular training to help recognise abuse.
All forms of abuse can be difficult to identify for the following reasons:
– children themselves might not realise that they are being abused,
– children might be afraid to talk about their abusers for fear of reprisals or to protect others,
– children might not know who to turn to,
– children might think no-one would believe them,
– symptoms of abuse can be mistaken for developmental delays or difficulties adjusting to new circumstances in life,
– abuse can be undetected if children experience difficulties in communicating due to special needs. (NSPCC, 2014)
– no list of signs of abuse can be exhaustive; knowing children personal circumstances is essential in detecting symptoms that arise suspicion of abuse.
Signs of physical abuse:
Behavioural signs:
• tangible fear of someone or some place,
• reluctance to engage in physical activities, to change in front of others, to show parts of the body,
• withdrawn attitude,
• unexplained change in behaviour,
• aggression towards self or others,
• onset of difficulties with learning or relationships,
• avoidance or fear of medical examination,
• sleep disturbances, nightmares, terrors,
• parental delay in seeking medical help when child is hurt.
Physical signs:
• visible marks of physical harm: bruises, cuts, bites, burns, scalds, fractures,
• marks appearing in areas of the body that are not usually prone to injuries (back of thighs, upper arms, behind ears),
• repetition of injuries, without satisfactory explanation
• evidence of old injuries indicating a pattern.
Signs of emotional abuse:
Unlike physical abuse, emotional abuse does not reveal itself visually on the body. It is expressed through developmental delays and unusual behaviours. Depending on their age group, children may display different symptoms of emotional abuse.
• clingy or attention-seeking behaviour,
• over-reaction to mistakes, fearfulness,
• low self-esteem, feeling of worthlessness,
• developmental delays: physical, emotional and/or social,
• lack of attachment with parents or carers,
• bedwetting,
• self-harm,
• substance abuse,
• passive behaviour,
• aggressive behaviour,
• onset of learning difficulties,
• eating disorders.
Signs of sexual abuse:
Sexual abuse can be characterised by physical and behavioural symptoms. Depending on the child’s maturity and development, behaviours that appear too old or too young for their age should arise concern.
Behavioural signs:
• sudden change of behaviour,
• excessive or inappropriate sexual awareness beyond age-related expectations,
• sexually explicit talk, behaviour or play,
• inappropriate displays of affection towards older people (family or friends),
• sudden changes of moods,
• sleep disturbances, nightmares, terrors,
• changes in behaviour: withdrawn, aggressive, depressive, suicidal,
• eating disorders,
• unexplained gifts,
• avoidance or fear of medical examination.
Physical signs:
• soreness, bleeding or discharge in the genital areas,
• bruises, bites or grazes to the genital areas,
• genito-urinary infections and sexually-transmitted diseases,
• chronic ailments: abdominal pains, headaches,
• unexplained pregnancy.
Signs of neglect:
Behavioural signs:
• compulsive stealing,
• scavenging for food,
• clingy or attention-seeking behaviour,
• erratic attendance,
• frequently arriving late or particularly early,
• low self-esteem, feeling of worthlessness,
• developmental delays: physical, emotional and/or social,
• lack of attachment with parents or carers,
• passive behaviour,
• talking of being left unsupervised at home,
• lack of communication with parents/carers,
• poor social relationships.
Physical signs:
• poor personal hygiene,
• poor clothing,
• low weight and height for age,
• frequent accidents or injuries due to lack of supervision,
• excessive or regular tiredness,
• excessive, regular hunger.
It is important to remember that children may exhibit these indicators for reasons other than abuse, whether because of traumatic changes in their lives such as bereavement or for medical reasons. It is essential to take into account children personal context and developmental stage before expressing concerns of abuse.
