How to Recognize Signs of Child Abuse
Knowing if your child or a child you love is being abused can be challenging, especially because human beings have a substantial capacity for denial. Learning to recognize signs of abuse in children can help you help them. As Dr. James Lukefahr, currently with University of Texas Science Center, has written on the shool's website, children who are being abused often exhibit a sudden change in behavior. Children -- especially young children -- often say through their actions what they can't express in words.
Instructions
Look for unexplained injuries. If your child has bruises, scratches or cuts that weren't there last time you saw him, ask him about them. If he struggles to come up with an excuse or acts like he's repeating a rehearsed excuse, it's time for a more detailed conversation. Observe your child's sexual behavior. In teenagers, a history of abuse can manifest as promiscuity or fear of intimacy. In small children, using sexual slang or behaving sexually with another child is a strong indication of having been exposed to inappropriate adult sexuality. Watch for eating-disordered behavior such as starving, purging and extreme aversions to particular foods. Self-injury is another indication that physical, sexual or emotional abuse may have occurred. Observe signs of behavioral regression. For example, if a 3-year-old stops talking, starts wetting the bed or returns to a previous habit, such as thumb-sucking; if a teenager suddenly becomes very clingy and childlike toward you; or if you notice stuttering or other developmental delays, these can be signs of emotional or sexual abuse. Take your child for medical and psychological evaluation as soon as possible. Watch your child's grooming habits. If he has suddenly let himself go and stopped washing his hair or clothes; or if she suddenly begins to style her hair, wear makeup beyond what is age-appropriate and dress in overtly sexy clothes, these can be signs that abuse has taken place.