Child Abuse

Early Childhood Education II

Objective 7.02
Alyssa Lies
 Child Abuse Stats…
• 126,962 children with investigated reports
of possible abuse and neglect in North
Carolina from July 2015 to June 2016.

• 25 children died at the hand of a parent or

caregiver in North Carolina in 2013 (the
latest data available). The number of
fatalities varies from year to year and
deaths result from a range of situations.
 In the news…
• http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Pinetops-Father-Charge
d-For-Attempted-Murder-Of-Infant-249407481.html
• http://newschomp.blogspot.com/2008/06/macclesfield-nc-mc
millans-tie-son-to.html
• https://nypost.com/2018/03/22/baby-in-viral-video-was-smokin
g-marijuana-with-mother-police/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jamie-hiatt-michael-mcknight-
child-abuse-maggots-diaper-north-carolina/
• http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article201134
369.html
 Types of Child Abuse
• Nonaccidental physical injury
• Neglect
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse
 Nonaccidental Physical Injury
• Most visible type
• Physical abuse inflicted on purpose
• Often refuse to discuss their injuries
because abuses threaten them not to tell.
 Signs of Possible Physical Abuse
• Child has unexplained or respected injuries
(bruises, bites, cuts, burns, fractures)
• Child and parent provide illogical or conflicting
explanations for injuries.
• Child complains of pain frequently.
• Child displays fear of adults, including parents.
• Child avoids giving or receiving affection.
• Child wears clothing that can hide injuries, even
when unsuitable for the weather.
• Flogging of this sort
was outlawed many
years ago for common
criminals, but it
continues for today's
child. This
three-year-old boy may
never know the joys of
giving and receiving
affection. Many
children die from such
abuse.
• Can a child develop
healthy attitudes
toward others if he is
tied to his bed with
wire as punishment
for bet-wetting? In a
sexually repressed
society, lack of
physical affection is
prominent and
emotions are often
expressed through
violence.
• A cigarette lighter in the
hands of a man who'd
been abused as a child
becomes a weapon of
torture against his own
child. Will these
symptoms of lack of
physical affection and
sexual repression carry
over to the next
generation? The
problem is breaking the
cycle of abuse that
turns victims into
perpetrators.
 Neglect
• Form of child abuse in which the child is
not given the basic needs of life.
• May be deprived of proper food, medical
care, shelter, and/or clothing.
• May or may not be intentional on the part
of the abuser.
 Emotional Abuse
• Abuse of child’s self-concept through
words or actions.
• Children lose self-esteem
• Result of insufficient love, guidance,
and/or support from parents or guardians.
 Signs of Emotional Abuse
• Children who are emotionally abused may
repeat certain behavior over several months:
– Refusal to talk
– Unusual or unpredictable behavior
– Excessive clinging or crying
– Withdrawn behavior
– Destructive behavior
– Poor motor coordination for age
– Fear of adults
 Sexual Abuse
• Forcing the child to observe or engage in
sexual activities with an adult.
• Rape, Fondling, indecent exposure
• Incest-Sexual abuse with a relative
• Molestation-sexual contact made by
someone outside the family with a child.
 Reporting Child Abuse
• Health care workers, social workers,
school administrators, and teachers are
MANDATED REPORTERS! (required by law to report
any known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect)
 Mandatory Reporting Law
• General Statute 7B-301
§ 7B-301. Duty to report abuse, neglect, dependency, or death due to
maltreatment.
• Any person or institution who has cause to suspect that any juvenile is abused,
neglected, or dependent, as defined by G.S. 7B-101, or has died as the result of
maltreatment, shall report the case of that juvenile to the director of the department of
social services in the county where the juvenile resides or is found. The report may be
made orally, by telephone, or in writing. The report shall include information as is
known to the person making it including the name and address of the juvenile; the
name and address of the juvenile's parent, guardian, or caretaker; the age of the
juvenile; the names and ages of other juveniles in the home; the present whereabouts
of the juvenile if not at the home address; the nature and extent of any injury or
condition resulting from abuse, neglect, or dependency; and any other information
which the person making the report believes might be helpful in establishing the need
for protective services or court intervention. If the report is made orally or by
telephone, the person making the report shall give the person's name, address, and
telephone number. Refusal of the person making the report to give a name shall not
preclude the department's assessment of the alleged abuse, neglect, dependency, or
death as a result of maltreatment. Upon receipt of any report of sexual abuse of the
juvenile in a child care facility, the director shall notify the State Bureau of
Investigation within 24 hours or on the next workday. If sexual abuse in a child care
facility is not alleged in the initial report, but during the course of the assessment
there is reason to suspect that sexual abuse has occurred, the director shall
immediately notify the State Bureau of Investigation. Upon notification that sexual
abuse may have occurred in a child care facility, the State Bureau of Investigation
may form a task force to investigate the report. (1979, c. 815, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess.,
1992), c. 923, s. 2; 1993, c. 516, s. 4; 1997-506, s. 32; 1998-202, s. 6; 1999-456, s.
60; 2005-55, s. 3.)
 How to Make a Report
•last modified November 28, 2007
•You can make a report of child abuse by calling, writing, or visiting your county
Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services Division. The address and
phone number can be found in the front of your local phone book in the county
government section or through the North Carolina DSS County Directory. A social
worker will listen to you and take down all the information you give.
•It is helpful if you can share the following information:
•the name, address, and age of the child
•the name and address or the child's parent, guardian, or caretaker
•the child's condition, including the nature and extent of the injury
•any information regarding the presence of weapons, alcohol/drug abuse, or other
factors affecting the social worker's safety are important
IMPORTANT
•You do not need to prove that abuse has taken place; you only need reasonable
grounds for suspicion.
•You do not have to give your name.
•You do not need permission from parents or caregivers to make a report and you do
not need to tell them you are reporting.
•You do not need permission from your workplace to make a report, but there may
be guidelines to help you.
5 Protective Factors

https://www.preventchildabusenc.org/imag
es/PCANCProtectiveFactors.pdf