Session 1 Child Abuse Flashcards
What is child abuse?
Maltreatment of a child (<18yrs)
Infliction of harm
Failing to act to prevent harm
What defines significant harm?
Ill-treatment or impairment of health or
development
Legal justification intervention in family life
Categories for child abuse
- neglect
- physical
- sexual
What is 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.
How can Neglect occur during pregnancy
Can occur via substance abuse
What are some examples of neglect
-Provide adequate food, clothing, shelter (including
exclusion from home or abandonment)
- protect from physical and emotional abuse
- adequate supervision
- access to medical care
- attending basic emotional needs
What are some red flags that could show a child is suffering from neglect?
- recurrent non-attendance to appointments
- missed routine screenings and immunisations
- Faltering growth - needs not being met
- delay in development - speech
- recurrent infections - head lice, skin
- poor school attendance
- history of injuries
How can you examine a child’s health
- poor nutritional status
- dental decay
- chronic infestation
- dirty/smells
What does physical abuse involve?
hitting, shaking, throwing,
poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning,
suffocating or otherwise causing physical
harm to a child.
Or parting inducing illness in child
History of physical abuse
- Lack of or inadequate explanation for injury
• Delay in seeking medical attention
• Inconsistent accounts
• Presence of multiple risk factors/Child or family known to SocialCare
• Direct disclosure
Examinations that can show physical abuse
- unexplained bruising
- Unexplained fractures/burns
- patterns (hand mark)
- injury not consistent with history or age
What defines sexual abuse?
- forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities despite them knowing what’s going on or not
In what ways can a child be sexually abused?
- physical contact
- non-contact: children looking at sexual images, watching sexual activities, grooming, taking sexual images of them
- can take place online
What is child sexual exploitation?
- individual or group taking advantage of power to coerce or manipulate child into sexual activity
The child may be aware what’s going on and not realise it is exploiting
What are some examples of coercion?
- exchanging something with victim
- financial advantage
- increased status of perpetrators
History of someone that has been sexually abused.
- pregnancy
- signs of sexual activity under 13 years
- STIs
- anogential injury and unexplained bleeding
- recurrent vaginal discharge
- soiling and wetting (differential diagnosis)
- behavioural change
Examination of a child who may have suffered from sexual abuse
- refer to social care
Some examples of emotional abuse
- Rejecting
– Isolating
– Terrorising
– Ignoring
– Corrupting
– Cyberbullying
What is the definition of emotional abuse
Persistent emotional maltreatment of a child causing
severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s
emotional development. :
- conveying worthlessness/unlike
- deliberately silencing child
- limiting learning
- bullying /exploitation
History of an infant suffering from child abuse
Feeding difficulties, crying, poor sleep patterns, delayed development.
History of a toddler suffering from emotional abuse
Behavioural spectrum from overactive to apathetic, noisy to quiet, dev delay
History of a child at school suffering from emotional abuse
Wetting & soiling, relationship difficulties, poor school performance, non-
attendance, antisocial behaviour
History of an adolescent suffering from emotional abuse
Depression, self-harm, substance misuse, eating disorders, oppositional,
aggressive, delinquent behaviours.
Some other issues concerning safeguarding
Online abuse & grooming
• Child Criminal exploitation/County lines
• Trafficking
• Radicalisation
• Modern slavery
• Female genital mutilation/cutting
• Forced marriage
• Honour based violence
• Discriminatory abuse
What is the triad of vulnerability?
– Domestic abuse
– Mental illness of parent or carer
– Parental drug and / alcohol misuse
Which children are are most vulnerable to child abuse?
• Under 2 years
• Pre-verbal babies & children
• Those with additional needs/disability
• Vulnerable/marginalised young people
What process is taken when a child is suspected of suffering from abuse
- refer to social care -> reasonable cause to suspect this -> duty to make enquiries under section 47 of the children act 1989
Adverse childhood experiences
- suffering from abuse as a young age can have major negative implications on the child when they grow up
They will have damaged mental health and are more prone to physical illness
Example of some adverse childhood experiences
– Physical abuse & neglect
– Sexual abuse
– Emotional abuse & neglect
– Domestic violence
– Mental ill-health
– Incarceration
– Substance misuse
– Parental separation
Interventions and support
• Universal services
• Early Help
• Child in Need – consent required.
Section 17 Children Act 1989
• Child Protection – consent not required.
Section 47 Children Act 1989
If you are concerned about a child’s welfare what do you not do
– Don’t ask leading questions.
– Document verbatim what was said.
– Don’t promise confidentiality.
– Talk immediately to one of the professionals you
are working with – they will escalate
appropriately.
Why review child deaths
• To establish, a cause Of child deaths (with the coroner)
• To identify any potential contributory &
modifiable factors
• To provide ongoing support to the family
• To learn lessons in order to reduce the risk of
future child deaths
Who is involved in the death review process
- health and local authority funded
- CD-R team; designated dr, nurses
- get health and social care and lilacs involved
- get all agencies involved
