Recognize Signs of an abused child

With tragic hard news headlines and television stories, it's clear that child abuse is a national problem.Unfortunately many cases go unreported according to Dianne George, Designated Counselor for Children at Naval Submarine Base New London's Fleet and Family Service Center.


With April's designation as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, George is making a concerted effort to remind people of the forms of child abuse, their tell-tale signs, and the resources available to provide help to those in need.


George highlights that children everywhere can suffer not only from the often more obvious physical abuse, but also from the less obvious emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect.
Although it may not seem as harmful, emotional abuse can be much more damaging to children than any degree of physical abuse. Emotionally abused children may feel rejected, ignored, and belittled.


Children can also be emotionally scarred from being a witness to something disturbing.
"If a child witnesses domestic violence, it is a form of emotional abuse," says George.
Another very common form of child abuse - which some may not even realize is abuse - is neglect.


Neglect is the failure of a child's parents or caregivers to provide that child with the proper physical, emotional, medical, or educational needs. Children who are not provided with these necessities may develop emotional or behavioral problems that can stay with them later in life. George points out that while it is important to understand the different types of child abuse, it is even more vital to be able to recognize it.


The more obvious signs are those from physical abuse, such as bruises, usually on a child's arms or legs. Some less obvious signs, such as those that may reflect emotional abuse, are a child's cowering at physical touching, severe lack of self-confidence, and using derogatory language toward other children.


Child abuse can lead to many problems that not only impact the youth of the abused but also sometimes carry into adult life.


Abused children may have poor physical, mental, and emotional health, which can lead to depression, anxiety, and even suicide. Victims sometimes develop problems with their language and problem-solving skills, which in turn lead to problems in school. Moreover, abused children are more likely to become abusive toward their own children later in life.


Unreported and untreated, child abuse can result in a pattern of abuse and neglect that continues to the next generation, says George. "[Learned behaviors] can eventually come out in later years. Name-calling and using degrading comments toward a child, if done repeatedly, stay with them. The chances go up considerably because of the behavior that they have learned."
For George, a key to solving the problem is intervention; the abuse must be stopped from the source.


"The initial intervention is to get with their parents," says George. "That is where we have to stop it."


Parents or caregivers must recognize that when the challenges of parenting may be too much for them, they can seek help; anger management and parenting assistance programs are widely available.


Unfortunately, sometimes parents or caregivers must "get caught," for the abuse to end.
Family, friends, and those who interact with children must always be aware of the signs of abuse and the fact that all children, whether from a wealthy, traditional family, or from a poor, single-parent family, could be possible victims of abuse. Child abuse can take place in many different types of families, backgrounds, and ethnicities.


Victims of child abuse must not be afraid to seek help themselves. They should not fear being believed or the consequences of coming forward. Child abuse is not the child's fault, and the child is not in the wrong in trying to get help.


Whether through presentations at the Child Development Center, called "Hands are Not for Hitting," and specifically designed for younger children. or through programs at the SUBASE Youth Center for older children, the Fleet and Family Support Center is committed to making the public and children more aware of child abuse.


"[The programs] teach children to use their voices," says George.
For George the bottom line of April's designation as National Child Abuse Prevention Month is quite simple.


"It's crucial that children who are victims of abuse get the help they need," she says. "It's also important that the adults in their lives are there to help them."