Know the symptoms of Child Abuse!

Sad facts

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In 2010 there were nearly 700,000 children in the USA alone that suffered from maltreatment. Out of those 700,000 1,560 died from abuse and neglect. Nearly 3.4 Million children recieved services from child protective services. Twenty percent of those were under the age of one. These are sad numbers. Not just sad but discusting.

Symptoms of Child Abuse

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1. The child is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn.
2. The child has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes.
3. The child does not want to go home. Seems to want to go to school early, sty late, or find multiple reasons to not go home.
4. The Child always seems to have bruises that are beyond normal for a child their age.
5. The child wears odd clothes for the season. Pants or long sleeves in the summer are a big red flag.
6. Sudden changes in behavior or school performance of the child.
7. The child seems to run away from home often.
8. The child shows inappropriate sexual behavior for child's age.
9. The child has trouble walking or sitting comfortably.
10. The child seeks affection from other adults in their life.
11. There is blood in a child's underwear that is unrelated to menastration.
12. A child who sexually abuses another child.
13. The child avoids certain situations, such as refusing to go to school.
14. The child has frequent absences from school
15. The child seems to be sick all the time. Such as a headache or stomach ache that has no medical diagnosis.

Please don't dismiss this list

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When thinking about the possibilities of abuse to a child there are a few things we must never forget.

• Never assume a parent is too "good" to harm a child.
• Never assume a child is bad just for the sake of being bad.
• Never feel that you are out of line by reporting!
• Always remember it is better to be safe than sorry!

I was the child that everyone made the wrong decision on. People thought my father was great just because I had every toy invented. They assumed that I was just a child who was rebelling against my parents. They misunderstood my 40+ times of running away as me just having behavior problems. I even told my school at age 10. They took pictures of the bruising from neck to thigh and told my father not to do it again. They never even came back for a followup. Please don't let this happen to another child because you are afraid to step in.

Now with that said, just one symptom does not mean a child is being abused. When a child is being abused they show a pattern for that abuse. They become out of character for their age. Never assume because a child has a bruise they are being abused. As a parent I know how easily they bruise just playing. No matter what though always do what feels right!