Unthinkable as it is to imagine someone intentionally hurting a child, about 1 million children are abused every year in the United States. And these are only the reported incidents - many more are unreported and undetected, often because children are afraid to tell.
When mistreatment becomes abuse, children are injured, neglected, and emotionally damaged. Approximately 1,000 to 1,300 U.S. children are known to die as a result of physical abuse, and those who survive suffer emotional trauma that lasts long after the bruises have healed.
Some studies report that in the United States, as many as one out of every eight boys and one out of every four girls is sexually abused before turning 18 years old. In 90% of these cases, sexual abuse occurs in the home, particularly when younger children are involved. A child who knows the abuser (about 90% of cases involve an abuser who was previously known to the child) usually senses that the abuse is wrong, but he may feel trapped by the affection he feels for the person or fearful of the power the abuser has over him, so he doesn't tell. Whatever the statistics, one thing we know is that child abuse is too frequent and too often hidden.
Emotional abuse can be just as damaging. The effects can last a lifetime, stripping a child of self-esteem and affecting his relationships, happiness, and success.
Four Types of Abuse
Abuse of a child can mean physical abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, or emotional abuse.
Physical abuse can include the following actions when they are continuous, pervasive, and extreme, and if they are done intentionally to harm a child: hitting, throwing, kicking, choking, biting, shaking, beating with an object, burning with a match, cigar, or cigarette, scalding with hot water, pushing and holding a child underwater, tying up a child, or starving or failing to provide food for a child.
The following actions can be considered physical neglect if they interfere with a child's growth and development:
not providing adequate housing or warm clothing in cold weather
locking a child in a closet or room
leaving a child alone for extended periods of time
not providing medical care when a child is sick or injured
placing a child in a physically dangerous situation
These actions can be considered sexual abuse:
fondling, touching, or kissing a child's sex organs
making a child touch someone else's sex organs
having sex with a child
showing a child pornographic material
showing sex organs to a child
forcing a child to undress
forcing a child to have sex with someone
making a child pose or perform for pornographic pictures or videos
telling a child "dirty" stories
Emotional abuse occurs when a parent ignores, terrorizes, blames, belittles, or otherwise makes a child feel that he's worthless and incompetent.
Shaken baby/shaken impact syndrome is a specific form of child abuse. It's the leading cause of death in child abuse cases in the United States. Most incidents last just 5 to 20 seconds, but that's enough time to cause sufficient brain damage to kill the baby. In some cases, a blow to the head accompanies the shaking.
Signs of Abuse
Of course, all children get scratches, bruises, and cuts from time to time. That's the nature of childhood - a time that's full of tumbling, climbing, and adventures. That makes it difficult to tell what's normal and what may be a sign of abuse. Unfortunately, there's no one telltale sign that a child is being abused. Bruises, black eyes, and broken bones are certainly clues, but other signs are less obvious. Children who have been abused may behave differently. They may have nightmares or trouble sleeping. Their school performance may suddenly decline. In addition, they may:
have a poor self-image
be unable to love or trust others
be aggressive or disruptive (become bullies)
display intense anger or rage
act out in the classroom
act out sexually
be self-destructive, self-abusive, or suicidal
feel sad, passive, withdrawn, or depressed
have difficulty forming new relationships
use drugs or alcohol
avoid going home after school
show a fear of certain adults
Children who witness abuse but are not victims themselves may also display some or all of the above signs. It's important to note that these symptoms are all nonspecific, meaning they could result from a number of causes - not just child abuse. Children who are under stress from a variety of sources - including parental separation, divorce, and visitation and custody arrangements - may show similar symptoms.
Those who abuse children may show certain nonspecific signs as well. For example, parents who abuse their children may avoid other parents in the neighborhood, may not participate in school activities, and may be uncomfortable talking about their children's injuries or behavioral problems.
