| Signs
of Child Abuse
Telltale Signs of Hidden Hurts:
Approximately 80% of children who are molested or raped never tell
anyone. Often, there are no telltale signs of abuse. So what’s
a parent, friend or neighbor to do? One thing would be to look for
signs—not just physical, but emotional and behavioral—telltale
changes in a child’s actions and attitudes. Some of these
signs can show up at other stressful times in a child’s life
(like divorce or death of a family member, pet or friend) so while
they may not be absolute red flags for abuse, one or more definitely
mean you should begin to ask questions.
Do you notice any of the following behaviors in younger children
you know well?
 Fascination
with all things sexual, explicit mimicking of sexual play
Hyperactivity,
distractedness, disruptive or demanding behavior
Fear
of or embarrassment about a certain person or place
Unusual
dependency on a person or persons
Discussion
of a “secret” with an adult
Sleep
disturbances, bedwetting
Changes
in appetite
Trying
to always be perfect
Do
you notice any of the following behaviors in older children you
know well?
Abrupt
mood swings, hostility toward one parent, authority figures
Sudden
lack of interest in friends or school activities, truancy
Lack
of interest in self, sudden changes in physical care
Depression,
inability to have fun
Fear
or startle response at touch
Change
in appetite
|
Other behavioral signs possibly related to sexual abuse
can include:
School Difficulties:
drop
in grades
change
in academic performance
decrease
in school functioning
truancy
difficulty
concentrating
Behavioral
Problems:
regressive
behavior
acting
out
running
away
suicidal
ideation and/or attempts
self-destructive
activities
increased
aggression
increased
fears
changes
in eating patterns
Sleep
Disturbances:
nightmares
sleeping
with clothing on
fear
of sleep
decrease
in amount of sleep
bedwetting
Sexualized
Behavior:
excessive
masturbation
age-inappropriate
sexual knowledge
sexualized
play
seductive
behavior
promiscuity
boundary
issues
sexual
intrusiveness
Changes
in Emotion:
withdrawn
depressed
decrease
in self-esteem
increased
fears
[source: Georgia Center for Children] Sleeplessness |
