How to Spot Different Types of Child Abuse
Signs of Child Abuse in Foster Children
Nearly 400,000 kids are currently in the United States foster care system. Many children in foster care are the victims of some form of child abuse or neglect. Children placed in foster homes remain at a higher risk for abuse. Foster and adoptive parents and their family members must learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse.
What are the different types of abuse, and what can you do if you suspect a case of child abuse? Many red flags indicate a child's safety is at risk. You must first learn how to spot the signs if you hope to protect children in your care.
Four primary types of child abuse include neglect, as well as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse:
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse refers to intentional bodily harm inflicted on another person. This definition typically excludes corporal punishment, like spanking. However, if spanking or other forms normally deemed 'reasonable' causes physical injury to a child, it is physical abuse.
Physical abuse includes many forms of harm, including hitting, beating, burning, shaking, throwing, or choking any age victim.
In certain instances, child victims of physical abuse often have several hospital admissions or a history of serious injuries. Commonly, these kids do not tell others or file a report about how they sustained their injuries. Often, victims of physical abuse claim their injuries resulted from an accident.
Teachers, social workers, and doctors may notice small injuries like cuts or bruises on a victim. Victims may try to hide their frequent injuries by covering them up with clothing. Reporters of child abuse are often suspicious when they see victims regularly wearing heavy clothes, even in hot weather.
Emotional Abuse
Unlike physical abuse, emotional abuse does not show on the victim's body. This type of abuse inflicts psychological harm or emotional injury. Emotional abuse harms a child's sense of self-worth and can disrupt normal emotional growth and development.
This type of child abuse can happen for a short period or over many years. Abusive behaviors include threats, continual criticism, withholding love, or outright rejection.
Child victims of emotional abuse often have trouble regulating their emotions. They might start believing it when their abuser tells them they are a failure and the abuse is their own fault.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse includes sexual maltreatment of another person. Examples may be person-to-person, such as cases of molestation, indecent exposure, rape, or incest. It can also encompass a criminal enterprise, including human trafficking. Human trafficking involves the enslavement of another person for sexual favors on any scale, small or even multi-national.
Unfortunately, children who have been in foster care have a much higher risk of all forms of sexual abuse. Many foster kids age out of foster care, usually at the age of 18. These young adults find themselves with no family or social services support. They have a substantially higher risk of being victims of sexual assault, substance abuse, and human trafficking.
Like emotional abuse, signs of sexual abuse may be more difficult to spot. A child showing a sudden change in clothing choices, appetite (under or over-eating), or hygiene habits may need help.
Other common signs of sexual abuse may include:
- Regression to younger child-like behaviors, like bed-wetting
- Extensive talk or vocabulary about sexual acts or body parts
- Having more sexual knowledge than their peers
- Sexual activities with other children
- Mimicking of sexual behavior with stuffed toys
Signs of child sexual abuse may also take physical form, including sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy.
Neglect
Child neglect is the most common form of abuse in foster children. Neglect can cause physical and psychological harm to children at any age. The failure of a child's primary caretaker to provide for their basic needs defines neglect. The four most basic areas include physical, emotional, medical, and educational needs:
Physical Neglect
Physical neglect is the failure to provide a child's essential materials to survive. Victims of physical neglect may be underfed, under-clothed, or may not have adequate shelter.
Emotional Neglect
Emotional neglect occurs when the child's emotional needs go unmet. Kids who have experienced emotional neglect may not have received counseling or care in times of crisis. Parents or caregivers may inflict this type of abuse by allowing children to use or abuse drugs or alcohol.
Medical Neglect
Medical neglect is when a caregiver fails to provide appropriate medical care or attention to a child in need. An example would be a caretaker withholding required prescription medication from a child.
Educational Neglect
Educational neglect is the failure of a caregiver to properly attend to a child's educational needs. Children with learning disabilities often suffer from educational neglect when they don't get the extra learning help they require. Sometimes, primary caregivers fail to enroll victims of educational neglect in school or provide homeschooling.
Spotting the Warning Signs of Abuse
Many different signs indicate that a child's safety is at risk.
Child victims may develop a heightened state of fearful alertness. This hypervigilant behavior may cause them to fear or expect negative consequences for even minor mistakes. They may feel afraid to go home from school or be around particular adults. Victims may show signs of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
Child victims of abuse often show emotional extremes. Examples to watch include emotional behavior that is exceedingly demanding or compliant, aggressive or overly passive. Common warning signs of emotional abuse are children who have significant delays in emotional and sometimes physical development.
Teachers or administrators may notice signs of abuse at school. Most commonly, children experiencing abuse have trouble focusing or concentrating in class and may have declining grades. They may also push boundaries.
Many effects of abuse persist after children are out of reach of their abuser and in a foster care program. As a foster parent, being patient and showing kindness is vital. A steady and calm approach can show children you will only protect them from harm.
Any adults who spend time with kids must watch for signs of depression, suicidal thoughts, and child abuse. Report any concerns to your local Child Protective Services (CPS).
Help Foster Children in Need
Most foster children experience trauma. For many, an adult in their lives has abused or neglected them in some way.
Foster parents must understand their foster child's situation and the reasons they entered the foster care system. Children who have experienced abuse may feel scared or confused. They may act out or behave in unexpected ways.
Foster parents receive training for the skills they may need to help a child with specific support needs. Your child-placing agency is responsible for training and ongoing support for foster families. When choosing an agency nearby, ask your representative about foster parent trauma-informed training and support resources. How quickly they respond is an important indicator of future supportive care.
United States foster care provides hope for thousands of children. You can be the dependable, loving parent a foster child needs to have a healthy, successful life.
Contact an agency in your state today to learn more or start your foster parenting journey.
