When Children’s Services have a concern about a child’s safety or wellbeing, they call it neglect or abuse.
Abuse and neglect can result in significant harm to a child.
What is neglect?
Neglect means a child’s basic needs are not being met and this might harm them
Examples of neglect are
- Not giving enough food, suitable clothing or shelter
- Not protecting a child from physical or emotional harm or danger
- Not giving proper care or supervision
- Not taking to medical appointments or health care
- Not meeting emotional needs
What is abuse?
Abuse means an action that causes harm or distress to a child.
It can be physical, sexual, or emotional.
Physical abuse is causing physical harm to a child.
Examples of physical abuse are
- Hitting
- Shaking
- Throwing
- Poisoning
- Burning or scalding
- Drowning
- Suffocating
- Causing illness of child
Sexual abuse is forcing or encouraging a child or young person to take part in any kind of sexual activity.
Examples of child sexual abuse are
- Rape
- Oral sex
- Masturbation
- Kissing
- Rubbing and touching outside of clothing
- Looking at or making sexual images
- Watching sexual activities
- Encouraging sexual behaviour
- Grooming. This is making a relationship with a child, so it is easier to abuse them
Emotional abuse is behaviour that damages a child’s sense of worth and emotional development.
Examples of emotional abuse are
- Telling a child they are worthless or unloved
- Not allowing a child to express their views or feelings
- Making fun of what a child says or how they say it
- Expecting a child to be more mature than they are
- Over protecting a child
- Limiting a child’s opportunities to learn
- Stopping a child from seeing friends.
- Bullying a child
