Physical abuse

Sexual abuse

Neglect

Most child victims are abused by a parent. In 2021, a reported 452,313 perpetrators abused or neglected a child. In substantiated child abuse cases, 77% of children were victimized by a parent (Carpentier, M, Silovsky, J, & Chaffin, M., 2006).

Young girls had a victimization rate of 8.7 per 1,000 girls in the population, higher than boys at 7.5 per 1,000 boys (Carpentier, M, Silovsky, J, & Chaffin, M., 2006).

In 2021, an estimated 1,820 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States. Boys have a higher child fatality rate at 3.01 per 100,000 compared to girls at 2.15 (Carpentier, M, Silovsky, J, & Chaffin, M., 2006).

Nationally, neglect is the most common form of abuse. Three-fourths (76%) of victims are neglected, 16% are physically abused, and 10% are sexually abused, and 0.2% are sex trafficked (Carpentier, M, Silovsky, J, & Chaffin, M., 2006).

About 90% of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser (Finklehor & Shattuck, 2012).

60% of abusers are acquaintances, teachers, teachers, neighbors or community leaders (Finklehor & Shattuck, 2012).

30% of children are abused by immediate or extended family (Finklehor & Shattuck, 2012).

Only 10% of children are sexually abused by a stranger (Finklehor & Shattuck, 2012).

Prior victimization of a child and/or their family members (Assink, 2019). Child maltreatment is 3x more likely in families that have parents with a history of maltreatment in their own childhood (Assink, 2018).

Emotional and behavioral signs or changes are more common than physical signs and can include:

Anxiety and depression

Sleep disturbances, including nightmares or night terrors

Change in eating habits

Unusual fear of certain people or places; reluctance to be alone with a certain person

Changes in mood that could including anger, aggressiveness towards parents, siblings, friends, pets

Rebellion or withdrawal; runaway behavior

Change in attitude towards school or academic performance; lack of interest in friends, sports, or other activities

Unexplained or frequent health problems like headaches or stomach aches

Poor self-esteem; avoidance of relationships

Self-mutilation or change in body perception, like thinking of self or body as dirty or bad; suicidal thoughts

Regression to previously outgrown behaviors, for example, bedwetting or thumb sucking

Abnormal sexual behaviors or knowledge of advanced sexual language and behaviors

Too “perfect” behavior or overly compliant behavior

Child physical abuse is an act, failure to act, or a circumstance that leads to harm or significant risk that a child will be harmed.

This includes the non-accidental physical injury to a child (i.e. striking, kicking, burning, biting, or any action that results in the physical impairment) by a person responsible for the child’s welfare. Physical abuse can be identified by physical indicators such as welts, human bite marks, bald spots, burns, skeletal and head injuries, lacerations, abrasions, discoloration of skin, and unexplained bruise marks in various stages of healing.

What Is Corporal Punishment?

Corporal punishment is the use of physical force against a child with the intention of causing him/her to experience pain so as to correct his/her misbehavior.

Corporal punishment is often referred to as spanking, hitting, slapping, or paddling of a child by a parent/caregiver or a school official. Research suggests that there are significant negative effects associated with corporal punishment, including aggression, poor parent-child relationship, and delinquency.

Other research suggests that there continues to be a decline in the use of spanking. These findings that work addressing the perception and frequency of corporal punishment is important.

63% of parents in a recent survey responded that they sometimes spanked their children, yet, only about half of these parents believe that they should spank a child.

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is defined as the involvement of a child (ages 0–17 years old) in sexual activity to provide sexual gratification or financial benefit to the perpetrator. This includes both touching and non-touching behaviors.

Examples of child sexual abuse include contact for sexual purposes, molestation, statutory rape, trafficking, sexually explicit images, exposure, incest, or other sexually exploitive activities.

Child sexual abuse occurs in all populations—it affects child in all socioeconomic levels, across all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, and in both rural and urban areas.

Parental problems such as partner violence, relationship issues, substance abuse, mental or physical health struggles and low levels of education pose a risk for child sexual abuse (Assink, 2019).

Children with mental or physical health conditions (Assink, 2019).

Children using drugs or substance use (Assink, 2019).

Children engaging in violent behaviors (Assink, 2019).

Children with frequent internet use (Assink, 2019).

Feeling comfortable discussing emotions and feelings with family

Having supportive family through difficult times

Enjoyment of participating in community activate and traditions

Feeling a sense of belonging at school

Having a supportive friend(s)

Having a safe adult who has a genuine interest in them

Feeling safe and protected by an adult in their home (Bethel et al., 2019)

How can you tell if an adult is taking too much interest in your child?

Child grooming is a deliberate process by which offenders gradually initiate and maintain sexual relationships with victims in secrecy. On the surface, grooming a child can look like a close relationship between the offending adult, the targeted child and (potentially) the child’s caregivers. By recognizing grooming behavior you can intervene, below are some examples of red flag behaviors:

Special attention/preference to a child

Gift giving

Touching or hugging the child

To learn more about child grooming and see examples of red flag behaviors, click here.

Sympathetic listener

Offers to help the family

Gaining access via the internet

(Darkness to light, 2024).

Teach children the names of their body parts. When children have the words to describe their body parts, they may find it easier to ask questions and express concerns about those body parts.

Some parts of the body are private. Let children know that other people shouldn’t touch or look at them. If a healthcare professional has to examine these parts of the body, be present.

It’s OK to say “no.” It’s important to let children know they are allowed to say “no” to touches that make them uncomfortable. This message isn’t obvious to children, who are often taught to be obedient and follow the rules. Support your child if they say no, even if it puts you in an uncomfortable position. For example, if your child doesn't want to hug someone at a family gathering, respect their decision to say “no” to this contact.

Talk about secrets. Perpetrators will often use secret-keeping to manipulate children. Let children know they can always talk to you, especially if they’ve been told to keep a secret. If they see someone touching another child, they shouldn’t keep this secret, either. Learn more about protecting a child from sexual assault.

Reassure them that they won’t get in trouble. Young children often fear getting in trouble or upsetting their parents by asking questions or talking about their experiences. Be a safe place for your child to share information about things that they have questions about or that make them uncomfortable. Remind them they won’t be punished for sharing this information with you.

Show them what it looks like to do the right thing. It could be as simple as helping an elderly person get off a bus or picking up change that someone has dropped on the ground. When you model helping behavior it signals to your child that this is a normal, positive way to behave.

When they come to you, make time for them. If your kid comes to you with something they feel is important, take the time to listen. Give them your undivided attention, and let them know you take their concerns seriously. They may be more likely to come to you in the future if they know their voice will be heard.

Use the media to make it relevant. Ask your teen’s opinion on something happening on social media, in the news, in a new movie, or on a popular TV show. You could even watch an episode with them and ask follow up questions. Asking their opinion shows them that you value their point of view and opens up the door for more conversation.

Use your own experience to tell a safety story. Sharing your own experiences can make these conversations relevant and feel more real to teens. If you don’t have an experience you feel comfortable sharing, you can tell a story about someone you know.

Talk about caring for their friends — not just about their own behavior. Talking about how to be a good friend can be a powerful way of expressing to your teen that you trust them to do the right thing without sounding like you’re targeting their personal behavior. It also gives you the chance to communicate safety practices they may not otherwise be receptive to.

Talk about sexual assault directly. For some teens, safety issues like sexual assault aren’t on the radar. On the other hand, they may have misconceptions about sexual assault they’ve picked up from peers or the media. Bring up statistics that relate to them, such as the fact that 93 percent of victims who are minors know the perpetrator. Explain that no one “looks like a rapist,” and that eight out of 10 instances of sexual assault are committed by someone known to the victim.

https://akidsco.com/products/a-kids-book-about-sexual-abuse

Information provided by rainn.org

chat online @ online.rainn.org.

https://www.nationalcac.org/child-abuse-prevention-reading-list/

https://www.allianceforchildren.org/prevention-resources