Child Abuse Prevention

Did you know that DCFS (Department of Child and Family Services) receives, investigates and acts upon a report of child abuse or neglect every five minutes, child sex abuse every two hours, and the death of a child by abuse or neglect every day and a half? Unfortunately, up to 80 percent of abuse and neglect goes unreported.

Child abuse happens everywhere regardless of socio-economic status. The majority of children are assaulted by someone they know. Not all victims are female. Most kids are coerced, bribed, manipulated or threatened into compliance and often feel trapped.

The purpose of this article is to bring awareness of the problem, educate readers on signs and symptoms of abuse, and to provide tips on how to talk to a child about abuse. The following information is adapted from the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

Common signs of child abuse are:

Repeated injuries: bruises, welts, burns. Parents may seem unconcerned. They deny that anything is wrong, or give unlikely explanations.

Neglected appearance: Neglected children often are poorly nourished and/or inadequately clothed. They are left alone or are wandering at all hours. Neglected children always seem as if nobody cares.

Disruptive behavior: Very aggressive negative behavior constantly repeated can signal a desperate need for attention and help.

Passive withdrawn behavior: When children are excessively shy and friendless, it may indicate that there are serious problems at home.

Parents who are “Super-Critical”: Critical parents who discipline their children frequently and severely may begin to abuse when unrealistic standards are not met.

Families that are extremely isolated: Parents who do not share in school or community activities, and who resent friendly contacts, may be distrustful of people or afraid of their help.

Abuse may be emotional, physical or sexual. Some symptoms include problems in physical development, speech disorders, conduct disorders, sleep disorders, behavior extremes, discipline problems, being wary of adult contact, afraid to go home, shows no expectation of adult comfort, unusual sexual behavior, unwillingness to change clothes in front of others, as well as other symptoms.

If a child talks about her/his abuse, you should:

1. Believe the child because children rarely lie about abuse.

2. Stay calm and reassure the child that they are not to blame.

3. Respect the child’s privacy – avoid talking about the abuse except to DCFS or police.

4. Praise the child for their courage in telling and show love and confidence in the child.

5. Report the abuse to the proper authorities.

6. Get counseling for the child.