Child abuse: any action by another person - adult or child - that causes significant harm to a child

Identifying abuse

Physical injury

• Consider child abuse as a differential when a child presents with an injury

Neglect

• Failure to provide for a child's basic needs - food, clothing, love etc.
• Can have a long term effect on children - difficulty socialising, behavioural difficulties, learning difficulties, mental health problems in adulthood
• Child may present e.g. dirty, hungry, or be missing medical appointments

Sexual abuse

• Physical consequences - STI, pregnancy
• Emotional consequences - trusting adults, later mental health problems
• Child may make a disclosure to a trusted adults, may be showing unusual behaviours especially unusual sexual behaviours for their age
• Brook traffic light tool is a useful toolkit to differentiate between normal childhood behaviour and behaviours which should raise concerns of sexual abuse

Emotional abuse

• Often seen alongside other categories of abuse but also a category of its own
• e.g. child being scapegoated within the family, constant negative remarks, ignored, belittled
• Immediate and long-term effect on self-esteem and emotional function, longer term mental health difficulties especially forming relationships
• No specific signs, could present with: lack of confidence, difficulties controlling emotions, overly anxious or angry, difficulties making friends, poor attachment with main caregivers, overly friendly with strangers, anger outbursts
  • Some overlap with some developmental disorders e.g. ADHD and autism - can be difficult to identify

Significant harm

• Threshold to justify local authority intervention into family life