Signs of child abuse

Your child may be suffering from child abuse and you may not know it. This often happens because children rarely will tell an adult that they've been abused or neglected. Reports show that in the United States, over 900,000 children are abused or neglected every year. Child abuse is present among all social classes and ethnicities. Most child abuse victims are abused by a family member or a caregiver. You can help break the cycle of abuse and protect your child by learning the signs of child abuse and neglect.

Recognizing if a child has been abused can sometimes be hard, but there are some signs that can help you figure out if a child has been abused or neglected. If your child shows lack of concentration at school, that may be a sign of child abuse or neglect. Your child may have flashbacks of his or her abuser, which can lead to your child not focusing in school.

Child abuse can come in the form of neglect. If you see that a child has health issues that has been brought to the parents attention and has not received any medical attention, that child is suffering from neglect and should be reported immediately.

When a child has been abused, they often shy away from physical contact. Normally a child will want to leave school on time or early, but if he or she has been abused, they may want to go to school early, stay at school late and may not want to go home. This is a sign that may indicates abuse occuring on in their household.

Sometimes physical injury can be more recognizable. Clear warning signs of physical abuse may include unexplained bruises, welts and cuts. Children love to play around and cuts, scrapes, and bruises are a fact of life. But if your child has marks from a hand, belt or other objects, you may want to question your child and caregiver about their injuries.

The effects of emotional abuse may be harder to detect. A child might not act like he or she is suffering from emotional abuse, but deep down inside their hurting and the longer it stays inside, the longer effect it may have. If your child has a sudden change in their behavior, he or she may be suffering from emotional abuse.

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