Willa: Hi again, and welcome to the section on identifying signs of abuse.
Dane and I are going to look at the types of abuse and the common signs of abuse. You can check out the factsheet or read through the text on the website if you need more detail.
Dane: So Willa, as you said earlier, as a school staff member we play a really critical role in identifying abuse.
For some kids, we might be the only people in their lives that are in a position to identify and report signs of abuse.
Willa: That’s right, which is why it’s really important that we know what we’re looking for.
Dane: Willa, do you know which children are the most likely to be abused?
Willa: Any child can be abused. But children who are vulnerable, isolated or have a disability are much more likely to become a victim of abuse.
Dane: There are lots of forms of abuse too, aren’t there? There is:
- physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- grooming
- emotional or physiological harm
- neglect, and
- family violence
Willa: Yeah, that’s right. Let’s look at each of them.
Dane: Physical child abuse can consist of any non-accidental infliction of physical violence on a child by any person. Examples of physical abuse may include beating, shaking or burning, assault with implements and female genital mutilation.
Willa: Child sexual abuse is:
- When a person uses power or authority over a child to involve them in sexual activity
- It does not always involve physical contact or force (For example, talking to a child in a sexually explicit way or showing them pornography).
Dane: Sometimes a child may be manipulated into thinking that they brought the abuse on themselves, or that the abuse is an expression of love through a process of grooming.
Willa: That’s right, grooming is when a person engages in predatory conduct to prepare a child for sexual activity at a later time.
Grooming is when a person engages in predatory conduct to prepare a child for sexual activity at a later time. Grooming can include communicating and/or attempting to befriend or establish a relationship or other emotional connection with the child or their parent/ carer.
Dane: Emotional abuse occurs when a child is repeatedly rejected, isolated or frightened by threats, or by witnessing family violence.
It can include things like, derogatory name-calling and put-downs, to the extent that the child suffers, or is likely to suffer, emotional or psychological harm to their physical or developmental health.
Willa: Neglect includes a failure to provide the child with an adequate standard of nutrition, medical care, clothing, shelter or supervision to the extent that the health or physical development of the child is significantly impaired or placed at serious risk.
Neglect may not immediately compromise the safety of the child, and can also result in longer term cumulative harm.
Willa: Family violence is behaviour towards a family member that may include:
- physical violence or threats of violence
- verbal abuse
- emotional or psychological abuse
- sexual abuse
- financial and social abuse.
Dane: The signs that a child is being abused might be different depending on the type of abuse, right Willa?
Willa: Yes and there is a breakdown of the typical signs of each form of abuse on the website, but lets run through some critical physical and behavioural signs to look out for for all forms of abuse.
Willa: Here is a list of the common physical indicators.
Dane: So looking at this list we should definitely be on the lookout for bruises and welts, internal injuries and injury to genitals, wearing unsuitable clothes to hid injuries, STDs, being consistently unwashed, hungry and having unattended health problems.
Willa: That’s right. The best rule of thumb, is to err on the side of caution. If something doesn’t seem right and you suspect that a child may be being abused then you should act by following the Four Critical Actions.
Willa: Here is the list of common behavioural indicators.
Dane: There are some easy to identify indicators here too, like:
- If you see drawings or writing from a student drawings which depicts abuse
- Or if there is persistent sexual activity which is inappropriate for their age.
Willa:
- Or if they have an unusual fear of physical contact with adults
- Or possess expensive gifts, or have unusually close connection with an older
person.
Dane: I’m guessing that there are also signs that an adult may be perpetrating abuse, too?
Willa: Definitely.
Dane: So we should be on the look out for any relationship between a family member and child or a staff member or other adult and child that makes us feel uncomfortable too?
- Willa: Yes. Within the family we should look for overprotective or volatile relationships and a child’s reluctance to be alone with a family members. With other adults (including school staff members), we should look out for:
signs of inappropriate touching and social boundaries (like bringing up sexual or very personal detail in conversation) - giving of gifts
- attempts to be alone with a child.
Dane: It says adults may also try to undermine a child’s reputation so no one will believe them about the abuse.
Willa: That’s right.
Dane: So what we’ve learnt is that:
- there are different forms of abuse
- there are a range of common physical and behavioural indicators that a child may be being abused
- and a range of signs that an adult is perpetrating abuse.
Willa: And most importantly…
Dane: If you form a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused, or is at risk of abuse, or an adult is perpetrating abuse, even if you’re not sure you must…
Both: Follow the Four Critical Actions.
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