Child Abuse Flashcards
CRU
Central referral unit
-Provide advice for DA adult and child protectoin
VIT
Vulnerability Investigation Team
Define Child
A child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. If a child:
-Reaches 16
-Is living independently
-Is in further education
-is looked after
-is a member of the armed forces
-is in a hospital
-in a custody in a secure estate
Does not change their status/entitlement
3 key members of safeguarding boards in each county (S.11 Children’s Act, 2011)
-Police
-Social Care
-Health
Children and Families at risk of abuse
Parental mental health problems
Deaf and disabled children
Parental substance misuse
Domestic abuse
Looked after children
Define child abuse
Any form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody (adult or other child) may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm on them, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Can be one or multiple occasions.
Define Significant Harm
Harm means ill-treatment OR impairment of health/development including witnessing ill treatment.
Development is physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and behavioural. health is physical or mental. Ill-treatment includes sexual abuse.
Use professional judgement, assess the child and work with the family and health agencies.
Physical Abuse
Non-accidental infliction of physical force by one person on another, which may or may not result in physical injury.
(Hurt on purpose)
Injuries are harder to detect in dark-skinned children, UV can help identify old injuries.
Congenital marking
Not bruises, babies are born with blue-grey marking on the skin usually on lower back and buttock region of newborns.
Define professional curiosity
capacity and communication skills to explore and understand what is happening with an individual or family. Use proactive questioning and challenge.
Unusual injury locations
Bruised eye
Inner mouth
Upper/inner arm
Forearm
Inner thigh
Skull (fracture)
Cheeks
Chest/Abdomen
Groin/genitals/buttocks
Soles of feet
Define Sexual Abuse
Contact & non-contact
Contact: sexual touching, rape, forcing participation in sexual activity, forcing undress
Non-contact: Exposing/flashing, showing pornography, exposing a child to sexual acts, making them masturbate, forcing child to make, view or share child abuse images/videos.
What to do when you get a disclosure of child sexual abuse?
Call for help (sergeant)
Barriers to reporting sexual abuse
-Fear of being judged
-Not being believed
-Nothing changing
-Fear of safety for self, friends and family
-Being confused if it is wrong
-feeling embarrassment/shame
-Fear of anger from family
-To avoid contact with perpetrator
Define Emotional Abuse
Any type of abuse involving emotional mistreatment of child, sometimes called psychological abuse.
Emotional Abuse acts
-Humiliating/constantly criticising child
-Making child subject of jokes/using sarcasm to hurt a child
-Never saying anything kind/positive
-Never showing any emotions in interactions with child
-threats
-being controlling of child’s life
-pushing child too hard
-failing to promote child’s social development.
Define Neglect
Persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development.
Neglect Act
Failure to…
-Provide adequate food, clothing and shelter
-Protect a child from physical/emotional harm or danger
-Ensure adequate supervision
-Ensure access to appropriate medical care/treatment
-Unresponsiveness to child’s basic emotional needs.
S.1 Children and Young Persons Act 1933
Cruelty to Persons Under 16 Years
If anyone who is 16 years or over willfully assaults, ill-treats, whether physically or otherwise, neglects, abandons, or exposes a child (or procures the above) in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health, they are guilty of an offence.
Signs of being abused
-Unexplained change in behaviour/personality
-Becoming withdrawn, anxious or aggressive
-lacks social skills/few friends
-Poor bond or relationship with parent
-Knowledge of adult issues inappropriate for age
-running away/going missing
-Always choosing to wear clothes which cover body
Respectful Uncertainity
Professionals must remain skeptical of explanations, justification or excuses they may hear.
Recording Child’s Condition - Checklist
-Record details under ‘PVP Related entry’
-Who was present
-Written down verbatim what child said
-Any questions asked of the child and the child’s responses
-Description of child’s physical appearance
-Child’s demeanour
-Child’s surrounding
S.47 Children Act 1989
Local authority has duty to make enquirers or cause enquirers to be made, where it reasonably suspects that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm.
Enquirers should enable local authority to decide whether they should take action to safeguard.
S.17 Children’s Act 1989
General duty on all local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need.
Child in need is a child who needs additional support from the local authority to meet their potential.
S.58 Children Act 2004
Removed Reasonable Chastisement defence for parents/adults charged with wounding, GBH, ABH or cruelty on child under 16 years.
Still remains a defence for common assault to a person less than 16 years of age. It’s a defence in court, not for arrest.
Powers of Entry for Child Abuse
PACE 1984 S.17 (indictable or saving life/limb)
Children Act 1989 S.48
Common law (breach of the peace)
S.46 Children Act 1989
Where a constable has reasonable cause to believe that a child would otherwise be likely to suffer significant harm he may-
Remove the child to suitable accommodation and keep him/her there
or
Take such steps as reasonable to ensure the child’s removal from any hospital or other place, in which he/she is accommodated is prevented.
