Educators : Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect, Part 3

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

(Page 6 of 10)

Case Example

The seven Reese children demonstrated poor hygiene and generally listless behavior. Although bright, the four, school-age children had difficulty in school, a fact seemingly more attributable to problems in organizing their thinking and perhaps a lack of stimulation at home, than to an absence of innate ability. Simon, a fifth-grade student, had been called to the attention of teachers numerous times in his school career for stealing food from other children and the cafeteria. Several times the children had been sent home with lice. The school nurse routinely attended to their neglected medical needs. Frequently Jena, a first-grade student, would report being left home with her younger siblings while her older brothers were away from home.

Mrs. Reese was a 26-year-old single mother. Jena's father had recently left the home. Although she loved her children, she seemed to have little energy to care for them. She fluctuated between working, collecting unemployment, and being on welfare. Mrs. Reese's own family had been involved with CPS for severe neglect.

Neglect usually permeates a family, with all children subject to similar treatment, as the case example above illustrates. It also shows how neglect can have an intergenerational cycle. It often is difficult for parents to break this cycle if they have not witnessed appropriate caretaking skills and behaviors or if they have not received services that provide relevant treatment, instruction, or education. This lack of experience and knowledge of appropriate parenting skills sometimes leads to other difficulties. For instance, it is not uncommon to see a parent-child role reversal where children appear to be taking on parental roles and responsibilities. This can be a heavy burden and these adolescents often "drift" out of the home rather than formally leave, as the case below shows.

Case Example

Oscar lived with his alcoholic parents and spent most of his free time caring for his four younger siblings. At 15, Oscar was out of school more than he attended it. Repeated calls to the parents did not seem to remedy the problem. Oscar began sleeping at friends' houses. Often, when the school called to find out why Oscar was not there, his mother had not seen him for several days. She seemed angrier that her 10-year-old child was complaining about taking care of the younger children than whether Oscar appeared to be missing. Finally, the boy disappeared and only rumors from some of the other students in his school gave any indication about his whereabouts.

Emotional Maltreatment

Emotional maltreatment includes blaming, belittling, or rejecting a child; constantly treating siblings unequally; and a persistent lack of concern by the caretaker for the child's welfare. While emotional maltreatment most often is observed through behavior, it is possible for children to internalize it so sufficiently as to cause developmental lags, psychosomatic symptoms, and other visible effects, such as speech disorders.

Case Example

At age 11, Max spent much of his free time rocking back and forth. He did not seem to be aware of this behavior. He also had been observed sucking his thumb. When Max was 6 his father died, and his mother had remarried when he was 7. Soon after, Max developed a tendency to stutter when he felt a great deal of stress. His stepfather was a career military man who described Max as a "real wimp who has to be whipped into shape." The "whipping" was not physical, but rather an emotional battering that seriously damaged the child's already shaky self-concept. Now Max described amorphous fears that plagued him both day and night. He became obsessed with "aliens who were coming to destroy the world." His drawings depicted menacing creatures bent on destruction.

For Max and other children like him, the world has taken on a sinister quality. These children may seem overly compliant and undemanding or aggressive and overdemanding. Educators involved with such children may need to tailor or modify their interactions with and responses to these behaviors.

While the behavior of emotionally maltreated children may be similar to those who are emotionally disturbed, parental behavior can help to distinguish the two. The parents of an emotionally disturbed child generally accept the existence of a problem. They are usually concerned about the child's welfare and seek help. The parents of an emotionally maltreated child, however, may blame the child for the problem, may ignore the problem's existence, may refuse all offers of help, or may be unconcerned about the child's welfare.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is defined as inappropriate adolescent or adult sexual behavior with a child. It includes fondling a child's genitals, making the child fondle the adult's genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, sexual exploitation, or exposure to pornography. Sexual abuse also may be committed by a person under the age of 18 when that person is either significantly older than the victim or when the perpetrator is in a position of power or control over the child.

Sexual abuse may take place within the family (referred to as incest), by a parent's boyfriend or girlfriend, or at the hands of adult caretakers outside the family, for example, a family friend or babysitter. Contrary to the myth of abuse by strangers, these adults are usually known to the child and have a relationship with him or her.

The impact of sexual abuse on the child depends upon many factors. The identity of the perpetrator, the amount of force or betrayal involved, the duration of the abuse, and the child's age and individual personality can affect the way in which the child responds to the abuse. When children know the perpetrator and are not significantly physically harmed, the feelings of betrayal when they recognize that they have experienced abuse may be more disturbing than the abuse itself. Boys are as vulnerable to sexual abuse as girls, though they are not as likely to report the abuse. One problem in detecting sexual abuse is that the warning signals to its existence also may be indicative of other disturbances.

About the Author

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Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.