Child Abuse & Neglect

And Children Shouldnt Have to Play to be Invisible

Include this video
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HvEB6Hr6-_o
o Child Abuse is Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or
caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual
abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk
of serious harm.
o Every 10 seconds, a report of child abuse is made and often, a report includes
multiple cases of abuse.

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o Each year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United
States involving more than 6 million children.
o In 2013, more than 1,400 children died in the United States as a result of abuse
and neglect.

o Child Abuse & Neglect Happens Close to Home, Too.

o More than 65,000 cases of child abuse were confirmed in Texas in 2012.
o And according to the Child Advocacy Centers in Texas, 185 Texas children will
be abused today.

Child Abuse Has Been A Problem for Many Years

o Child abuse prevention efforts have improved over the past 30 years as a result of
public awareness policies, parent education classes, support groups, home
visitation programs, and crisis and support hotlines.
o National, state and local government programs have responded with laws to
protect abused and neglected children.
o A formal child abuse and neglect reporting system was instituted in every state
and the District of Columbia between 1963 and 1967, and in 1974, the Federal
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatment Act was passed.
o The 1980s included a more detailed focus on public awareness, research,
intervention, and prevention.
o In more recent years, a strong emphasis has turned to community investment in
prevention and awareness. By encouraging service providers such as police, fire
and medics, faith communities, local businesses, and civic groups to work
together to stop child abuse and neglect, our community is closer to reaching its
overall goal of helping all abused children.

Forms of Child Abuse

Fig. 1

o There are four common types of abuse:

Physical abuse
Use of physical force, such as hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, or
other shows of force against a child.
Sexual abuse
Engaging a child in sexual acts. It includes behaviors such as
fondling, penetration, and exposing a child to other sexual
activities.
Emotional abuse
Behaviors that harm a child's self-worth or emotional well-being.
Examples include name calling, shaming, rejection, withholding
love, and threatening.
Neglect
Failure to meet a child's basic physical and emotional needs. These
needs include housing, food, clothing, education, and access to
medical care.
Factors that Increase Risk of Child Abuse
o Parental factors:
Parent has already abused a child

Pregnancy was not planned

Parent was abused growing up

The mother is young, unsupported and often with low education

Parents lack parenting knowledge

Parent is isolated and has little support

Parent has a mental illness or abuses drugs or alcohol

o Environmental factors:
Overcrowding in the home
Poverty or lack of opportunity to increase family resources

Family violence in the home

A non-biological adult resides in the home

Multiple stresses on the family

o Child factors:

Baby is sickly, colicky or unwanted

Child has a physical or developmental disability

Child is the product of an abusive relationship

Lack of attachment between child and parent

Signs Child Abuse

o Unexplained injuries. Visible signs of physical abuse may include unexplained

burns or bruises in the shape of objects. You may also hear unconvincing
explanations of a childs injuries.
o Changes in behavior. Abuse can lead to many changes in a childs behavior.
Abused children often appear scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn or more
aggressive.
o Returning to earlier behaviors. Abused children may display behaviors shown
at earlier ages, such as thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, fear of the dark or strangers.
For some children, even loss of acquired language or memory problems may be
an issue.
o Fear of going home. Abused children may express apprehension or anxiety about
leaving school or about going places with the person who is abusing them.
o Changes in eating. The stress, fear and anxiety caused by abuse can lead to
changes in a childs eating behaviors, which may result in weight gain or weight
loss.
o Changes in sleeping. Abused children may have frequent nightmares or have
difficulty falling asleep, and as a result may appear tired or fatigued.
o Changes in school performance and attendance. Abused children may have
difficulty concentrating in school or have excessive absences, sometimes due to
adults trying to hide the childrens injuries from authorities.
o Lack of personal care or hygiene. Abused and neglected children may appear
uncared for. They may present as consistently dirty and have severe body odor, or
they may lack sufficient clothing for the weather.

o Risk-taking behaviors. Young people who are being abused may engage in highrisk activities such as using drugs or alcohol or carrying a weapon.
o Inappropriate sexual behaviors. Children who have been sexually abused may
exhibit overly sexualized behavior or use explicit sexual language.
Long Term Effects of Child Abuse
o Child abuse often leads to long-term consequences that affect an individual's
physical, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral development.

What you can do to help

o April was Child Abuse Prevention Month
o We need to stand up and make the invisible visible.
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o Get involved with the Settlement Home for Children

Include photo on Settlement Home for Children

The Settlement Home began in 1916 as a day care.

It has evolved into a place for care, support and resources for abused and
neglected children. The Home receives support from the state but strongly
relies on donations and support from the community.
The Settlement Home offers children a second chance. Abuse and neglect
do not have to rob these children of their future.
The Home has a residential treatment center to house 27 girls between
ages 7 and 21 who are in need of 24-hour therapeutic care at the
Specialized or Intense level. On campus schooling is available for these
girls.
The Home also provides a therapeutic group home for 24 girls ages 7 to
21, who are at the Moderate or Specialized level. This Group home
provides a more typical family setting and the opportunity to attend public
school or our on-campus school.
The Home includes a transitional living program with 12 efficiency
apartments, which provide housing and security to ladies ages 18 and up.
Residents must be pursuing their education or have a job.
The Settlement Home also has a foster and adoption program. The
Home locates, screens, trains and verifies potential foster and adoptive
parents and provides education and development for foster families. The
Home also is available to provide support, respite care and crisis
intervention when needed.
o What can you do to help at the Settlement Home of Austin:
Become a volunteer
Become a mentor
Become a Tutor
Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent
Donate or Shop at The Annual Charity Garage Sale at
Palmer Events Auditorium on Thursday, November 5,
2015.

Works Cited

A Coordinated Response to Child Abuse and Neglect: The Foundation for Practice. Office on
Child Abuse and Neglect, Children's Bureau. N.p., 2003. Web. 15 May 2015.
"Child Abuse in Texas." Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas, Inc., N.p., 2015. Web. 15 May
2015.
"Child Abuse Prevention." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 08 Apr. 2015. Web. 15 May 2015.
"Child Abuse Statistics." Childhelp Child Abuse Statistics Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May
2015.
"History." The Settlement Home for Children. N.p., 2015. Web. 15 May 2015.
"Infection Prevention and Control: Past, Present and Future." Infection Prevention and Control.
(2008): 1-12. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015.
"10 Signs of Child Abuse." Safe Horizon. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.