Establishing Minimum Training Standards
Training should be used to increase knowledge and awareness of child abuse prevention, to teach staff about responding to children who disclose…
Home / Reporting / Physical and Behavioral Indicators of Abuse
Type of Abuse | Physical Indicators | Behavioral Indicators |
---|---|---|
Physical Abuse | ● Unexplained bruises (in various stages of healing) ● Unexplained burns, especially cigarette burns or immersion burns ● Unexplained fractures, lacerations or abrasions ● Swollen areas ● Evidence of delayed or inappropriate treatment for injuries | ● Self destructive ● Withdrawn and/or aggressive – behavioral extremes ● Arrives at school early or stays late as if afraid to be at home ● Chronic runaway (adolescents) ● Complains of soreness or moves uncomfortably ● Wears clothing inappropriate to weather, to cover body ● Bizarre explanation of injuries ● Wary of adult contact |
Neglect | ● Abandonment ● Unattended medical needs ● Consistent lack of supervision ● Consistent hunger, inappropriate dress, poor hygiene ● Lice, distended stomach, emaciated ● Inadequate nutrition | ● Regularly displays fatigue or listlessness, falls asleep in class ● Steals food, begs from classmates ● Reports that no caretaker is at home ● Frequently absent or tardy ● Self destructive ● School dropout (adolescents) ● Extreme loneliness and need for affection |
Sexual Abuse | ● Sexual abuse may be non-touching (obscene language, pornography, exposure) or touching (fondling, molesting, oral sex, intercourse) ● Torn, stained or bloody underclothing ● Pain, swelling or itching in genital area ● Difficulty walking or sitting ● Bruises or bleeding in genital area ● Venereal disease ● Frequent urinary or yeast infections | ● Excessive seductiveness ● Role reversal, overly concerned for siblings ● Massive weight change ● Suicide attempts (especially adolescents) ● Inappropriate sex play or premature understanding of sex ● Threatened by physical contact, closeness |
Emotional Abusemmmm | ● Emotional abuse may be name-calling, put-downs, etc. or it may be terrorization, isolation, humiliation, rejection, corruption, ignoring ● Speech disorders ● Delayed physical development ● Substance abuse ● Ulcers, asthma, severe allergies | ● Habit disorder (sucking, rocking, biting) ● Antisocial, destructive ● Neurotic traits (sleep disorders, inhibition of play) ● Passive and aggressive – behavioral extremes ● Delinquent behavior (especially adolescents) ● Developmentally delayed |
1 From the Handbook on Child Safety for Independent School Leaders, by A. Rizzuto and C. Crosson-Tower, Copyright 2012, Reprinted with permission from the National Association of Independent Schools.
Training
Training should be used to increase knowledge and awareness of child abuse prevention, to teach staff about responding to children who disclose…
Training
Ideally, all children/youth should receive training and education on issues of personal safety and abuse prevention. Personal safety and child…
Screening & Hiring
Here’s how you can develop a screening policy that fits your organization’s role, size, and resources: Know the screening rules and…
Sustainability
Leadership at Youth-Serving Organizations (YSOs) should maintain regular communication on the culture of safety with staff, volunteers, parents, and…
Code of Conduct
Once your Code of Conduct is in place, it’s important to implement it through training and by disseminating the information widely, in a variety…
Code of Conduct
Your Code of Conduct will provide your staff, volunteers, and others responsible for children and youth with very specific guidelines that will…
Training
Ideally, all children/youth should receive training and education on issues of personal safety and abuse prevention. However, not every organization…
Screening & Hiring
Additional screening and hiring measures should be implemented based on the specific needs, responsibilities, and risks of your Youth-Serving…
Sustainability
Long-term organizational change is a process of continuous review, evaluation, and communication. It includes regularly examining what is working…
Reporting
Mandated reporters are required to immediately report suspicions of child abuse and neglect to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families…
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