Forms of Abuse › Child Abuse
Definition
Child Abuse can be defined as a non-accidental injury or pattern of injuries to a child. Child abuse includes non-accidental:
- Physical Abuse - Examples of physical abuse include, but are not limited to: beating, burns, harmful restraint, use of a weapon or instrument, or actions that result in or could result in serious physical injury.
- Sexual Abuse - Sexual abuse is any sexual behavior imposed on a child. This involves a range of activities, including fondling the genital area, masturbation, oral sex, or vaginal or anal penetration by a finger, penis or other object. It includes exhibitionism, child pornography, and suggestive behaviors or comments.
- Emotional Abuse - Emotional abuse is expressing attitudes or behaviors toward a child that create serious emotional or psychological damage (i.e. verbal assault or emotional cruelty; inadequate nurturance; or extreme discipline).
- Neglect -Child neglect can be defined as any serious disregard for a child's supervision, care, or discipline (i.e. abandonment; health hazards in the home; ignoring child’s needs; knowingly permitting truancy; or exposure to domestic violence in the home).
Beacon Program Services
For Acute Cases
- Consultation by child maltreatment experts as requested by attending physician in the outpatient or inpatient setting
- Child physical examinations by child maltreatment experts
- Consultation (including clinical interviews, as needed) regarding hospitalized children by child maltreatment psychological experts
- Liaison with DSS, mental health, legal system, hospital police, local law enforcement, domestic violence agencies
For Nonacute Cases
- Child physical examinations and clinical interviews by child maltreatment experts on an appointment basis
- Appointments are made by representatives from law enforcement, Division of Social Services, or a medical provider by faxing a consent form and an intake form to 966-9315 and you will be called with the time of the appointment.
- If you have questions, call 966-9314
Signs of child abuse:
- Multiple injuries in different stages of healing (i.e. fractures or broken bones)
- Suspicious bruising or burn patterns
- Head injury to a child who is less than a year old
- Child is fearful, withdrawn, or avoidant
- Sexual behaviors that are not age-appropriate
- Inappropriate or excessive discipline.
Signs of child neglect:
- Abandonment by parent or caretaker
- Unattended medical needs
- Consistent lack of supervision
- Consistent hunger, inappropriate dress, poor hygiene, lice, distended stomach
- Poor social skills
- Indiscriminate with affection
- Pale, listless, begs or steals food, frequently absent from school
- Falls asleep in class, regularly displays fatigue
- Self-destructive behavior
Child Exposure to Domestic Violence
- Children exposed to domestic violence are psychologically abused by living in that situation;
- The children are often physically and sexually abused themselves, indicating a pattern of co-occurring abuse;
- Exposure to a parent being verbally or physically assaulted is physiologically arousing, emotionally distressing, and often trauma-inducing to children;
- The children may also experience other types of psychological maltreatment such as rejection, isolation, lack of emotional responsiveness from the caregiver, and neglect.
When to report child abuse, neglect or exposure to Domestic Violence
- All citizens of NC are required by law to make a report of child maltreatment when suspected.
- You do not have to know it occurred, but have a reasonable suspicion that maltreatment occurred.
- The report is made to the county Department of Social Services office in which the child resides.
