Saturday 3 September 2011

Signs indicating possible abuse of a child

This list is not exhaustive. It is not a replacement for using qualified professionals if you suspect a child is in danger. I did not write this list, I don't know where I got it from. I have had it for about 13 years. Several of the signs stated here are also signs of other problems.

The A B Cs Of Abuse


                              Abnormal body awareness, numbing, detachment
                              (depersonalization and/or derealization)
                              Abrasions or cuts appearing on the body which have
                              no apparent reasonable explanation
                              Ambidexterity; evidence of different writing styles,
                              widely fluctuating drawing abilities
                              Asthma
                              Auditory hallucinations (hearing voices, usually "inside"
                              head)
                              Behaviour that does not appear "normal" e.g. severe
                              anxiety around other children or adults, antisocial
                              behaviour in the form of hostile aggression or
                              withdrawal behaviour accompanied by depression.
                              Belief that his/her soul is "lost", "sold" or "possessed"
                              Behaviour which indicates apathy or depression
                              Behaviour which is antisocial and hostile in nature
                              Bruises or welts appearing on the body, especially
                              those which reveal the shape of some object which
                              was used to produce them. e.g. sticks, belts, buckles,
                              electric cords, a hair brush, etc.
                              Bruises which are unexplained or located on parts of
                              the body which usually do not get bruised through the
                              bumps and falls of a child's everyday living.
                              Burns caused by rope friction, usually found on legs,
                              arms, neck or torso as the result of having been tied
                              up.
                              High pain tolerance; lack of awareness of injury or
                              illness
                              Burns which leave a pattern outlining the object which
                              was used to make the burn such as an iron, electric
                              burner, heater or fireplace tool.
                              Burns with a "sock" or "glove-like" appearance on
                              hands, or feet and " doughnut:" shaped burns on the
                              buttocks. These types of burns are usually caused by
                              either dipping or forcing the child to sit in scalding
                              liquid.
                              "Caretaker" tendencies with corresponding
                              self-neglect or abuse
                              Childs clothing appears to be stained, torn or bloody
                              Child continually hungry
                              Child expresses or implies sexual activity with a parent
                              or other adult
                              Child has been diagnosed with having VD of eyes,
                              mouth, genitalia or anus.
                              Child reports pain, itching, bruises, or bleeding in the
                              genital area
                              Child shows withdrawn behaviour, refusing to
                              participate or dress appropriately for physical activities
                              such as swimming
                              Child speaks of home with a lot of fear and anxiety,
                              but is fearful of intervention
                              Chronic bladder infections
                              Chronic night terrors
                              Clothing not suitable for weather conditions
                              Compulsive or obsessive thoughts; rumination
                              Confusion about family roles & relationships;
                              fluctuating knowledge of family roles and relationships,
                              occasional confusion about who is mother or father
                              Confusion and/or concern about what constitutes
                              childhood
                              Consistent lack of cleanliness/or an intense obsession
                              with cleanliness.
                              Convoluted thinking; exaggerated tendency to
                              anticipate the motives of others, especially authority
                              figures
                              Does not seem to understand play, inability to play,
                              excessively anxious to know "rules"
                              Eating disorders; food phobias, especially "red" food,
                              meat, or herbs (anxiety response rather than simple
                              dislike)
                              Epileptic-type seizures or episodes of fainting or
                              unconsciousness with no medical explanation
                              Evidence of frequent trance states (forgetfulness,
                              confused denial of witnessed behavior); high
                              vulnerability to trance state induction (for example,
                              during "storytime" or in response to poetry, music,
                              rhythmic sounds, etc), yet phobic of "formal" hypnosis
                              induction techniques
                              Evidence that the child's physical or medical needs are
                              not being met.
                              Exaggerated startle reflex, especially followed by
                              evidence of dissociation and/or amnesia
                              Exaggerated reliance on state-dependent learning;
                              evidence of inconsistent skills and knowledge
                              Exaggerated sense of guilt and responsibility for others
                              Exaggerated tendency toward age-inappropriate
                              abstract thought or analysis with a corresponding
                              ignorance of basic instinctual knowledge, e.g.
                              abnormal ideas about eating , sleeping , elimination,
                              death, identity
                              Excessive superstition about numbers (especially 3,
                              multiples of 3, 7 & 13) and symbols (especially
                              pentagrams, crosses, circles, runes)
                              Expectation that he/she will be thought "crazy", "bad"
                              or "evil"
                              Extreme compliance with authority figures; severe
                              alienation from peers
                              Extreme fluctuation in skills, behavior, appearance
                              "Flat" affect; confused and/or inappropriate emotional
                              responses, especially to scenes of violence or abuse
                              Fear of being photographed
                              Fear of eye contact
                              Fear of physical contact, hugging, touching
                              Frequent incidence of excema or other symptomatic
                              skin disorders and non-specific skin irritations
                              Frequent somatic symptoms or illness accompanied by
                              lack of complaint (uninitiated disclosure) or awareness
                              Frequent weeping without the ability to relate to a
                              reason, or with denial of emotion
                              Highly phobic with multiple triggers
                              Human bite sized bites, especially those that are adult
                              sized.
                              Hyperviligilance; insomnia (only able to sleep in
                              morning or during daylight)
                              Inability to differentiate fantasy from reality
                              Injuries in various stages of healing which appear in a
                              regular pattern or are grouped together
                              Lack of congruent short-term memory; confused
                              personal history
                              Lack of supervision especially in dangerous situations
                              or while participating in activities which extend over
                              long periods of time.
                              Loss of appetite, refusal to eat
                              Minimal or no ability to defend self; marked
                              inconsistency in aggressive or self-protective abilities
                              Olfactory hallucinations, especially when followed by
                              dissociative episodes
                              Precocious knowledge of metaphysics, philosophy,
                              mythology or ethics, especially with no conscious
                              memory of having studied these subjects); assumption
                              that information or knowledge can "come to you"
                              without learning
                              Rapid mood swings or "simultaneous" contradictory
                              emotions, e.g. laughing and crying, angry yet
                              submissive
                              Ritualized behavior (things must be done in a certain
                              order or in a proscribed way in order to be "safe")
                              Self-mutilation, usually hidden
                              Sexually responsive to perceived "perpetrator" figures;
                              contradictory sexual naivete, modesty, repressed
                              sexuality with others
                              Small circular burns appearing on face, arms, hands,
                              buttocks or soles of feet which may have been inflicted
                              by a cigar or cigarette
                              Statements that imply an assumption of parallel,
                              contradictory realities, for example that there is an
                              "inside" world and an "outside" world with opposing
                              rules, or that everyone performs acts that must be kept
                              secret
                              Suicidal ideation and attempts from an early age
                              Tattoos or unusual scars (scalp, behind ear, palm of
                              hand, inside thigh, over heart, next to nipples); "box
                              scars"
                              Uncharacteristic episodes of severe, unfocused
                              anxiety, e.g. crouching on floor, rocking, nail biting,
                              compulsive scratching or biting of the self
                              Unexplained fractures to nose, face, ribs, legs or other
                              parts of the body
                              Unwanted pregnancy occurs, and child is afraid to
                              mention partners name
                              Visual hallucinations (blood, knives, animals, eyes)
                              Young Child shows knowledge or interest in adult
                              sexual behaviour, not appropriate for his/her age group

4 comments:

Tracie Nall said...

This is a great list, and a good resource for someone who might be wondering if a child in their life is being abused.

McGuireHimself said...

A couple of things: I know the list was intended to be presented in alphabetical order, but that intention seems to have created the necessity of repetition. And therefore the list is too long, especially since the list contains things that need explanation. For example, the inclusion of erratic drawing capabilities. I understand what the words mean, but not the connection to sexual abuse.

Such mysterious items (ambidexterity etc.) make the list fascinating even though the list is so terribly saddening.

Finally, the list is so helpful!

Miqlos said...

Such lists lead to false accusations which would lead to more damage than actual abuse itself.

Anonymous said...

This is very useful: I am disturbed by Miqlos's ignorant and damaging comment.

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