Reluctant to go home (coming to school Remember the risk factors, such as early or staying late, for example). economic hardship, isolation or substance Very passive and withdrawn – or aggressive abuse problems. and disruptive. Recognize the warning signs in children, Tired a lot, or they may complain of which may include nervousness around adults, nightmares or not sleeping well. aggression or low self-esteem. Fearful and anxious. Report suspected abuse or neglect. Abused children may also show sudden Children die every day from injuries caused by changes in behavior or school performance. child abuse. Often, someone was aware of the abuse, but didn’t report it. Abusive families KNOW THE SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE ADULT need help. Reporting abuse can help connect Consider the possibility of abuse if a parent families with counseling and services. This may or caretaker: help relieve a family’s stress – and prevent Seems unconcerned about the child’s future abuse. welfare at school or at home. Denies problems at school or at home – or The cycle of abuse can be stopped. Victims of abuse who blames the child for them. receive counseling and treatment are less likely to become abusers or have other problems as they grow up. Sees the child as worthless or as a burden. Avoids discussing the child’s injuries, or WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT CHILD ABUSE gives conflicting explanations for them. If it is an emergency, call the Suffolk Police Abuses alcohol or other drugs. Department – 911. They can ensure the Seems isolated from other parents and immediate safety of a child and get medical school, and community activities. attention if needed. Call Child Protective Uses harsh physical discipline or asks other Services at 514-7458, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. caretakers to use it. After hours, call the Virginia Child Abuse and Seems indifferent to the child. Neglect Hotline at 1-800/552-7096. Seems secretive or tries to isolate the child Remember, suspicion of abuse is all that is from other children. necessary to file a report. Your information Frequently blames, belittles or insults the can be given anonymously. You will be asked child. to describe your concerns about the child and it These signs don’t prove that an adult is an will be helpful if you can provide: the child’s abuser, but they could be a signal that the name, age, address, gender, school attended (if adult and his or her family need help. possible), and names of parents. An Information Guide WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP CHILD ABUSE A Message from provided by The following “R’s” are recommended: Your Commonwealth’s Attorney C. Phillips “Phil” Ferguson Reach out and support parents and kids. Everyone knows that as adults, we Anything you can do, from baby-sitting to have the capacity to affect the lives of Commonwealth’s Attorney children in so many, positive ways. running errands, can help reduce the stress that Kids look to us for love, security, support and other vital things. 150 North Main Street often leads to abuse. Whether we are parents, guardians, grandparents, neighbors, Suffolk, VA 23434 Raise the issue by educating yourself and educators, or just caring adults, we have the opportunity to others in your community. touch the lives of children and teens in meaningful, significant Phone (757) 514-4365 and lasting ways. Children are our future. Let’s all help Fax (757) 514-4400 make children’s lives safer, healthier and happier. www.suffolk.va.us/cwatty WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE? parent strikes, shakes or throws a child. NEGLECT Child abuse is any Physical abuse injuries result from punching, Neglect occurs when there is the failure to mistreatment or neglect of beating, kicking, biting, burning or otherwise provide for a child’s basic needs, such as a child less than eighteen harming a child. While any of these injuries can food, clothing, shelter, education, medical years of age that results in occur accidentally when a child is at play, attention or supervision, to the extent that non-accidental harm or physical abuse should be suspected if the the child’s health or safety is endangered. injury and which cannot be explanations do not fit the injury or if a pattern This also includes abandonment and reasonably explained. Child abuse can of frequency is apparent. The longer the abuse situations where the parent or caretaker’s include: physical abuse, emotional abuse, continues, the more serious the injuries to the own incapacitating behavior or absence sexual abuse and neglect. child and the more difficult it is to eliminate the prevents or severely limits the performing of abusive behavior. child caring tasks. Categories of neglect SOME FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT include emotional, abandonment, inadequate CHILD ABUSE EMOTIONAL ABUSE supervision, inadequate clothing, inadequate In 2001, Child Protective Service (CPS) Accounting for 8% of all shelter, inadequate personal hygiene, agencies investigated more than 3.25 million substantiated cases of child inadequate food, and malnutrition. reports of child abuse and neglect throughout abuse, emotional abuse is Educational neglect includes the allowance the United States. This is an increase of 2% commonly defined as the of chronic truancy, failure to enroll a child of from the previous year. Teachers, law systematic tearing down of mandatory school age in school, and failure enforcement officers, social service workers another human being. It is to attend to a special educational need. and physicians made 56% of the reports. considered a pattern of Physical neglect includes a refusal of or Neglect is the most common form of child behavior that can seriously interfere with a delay in seeking health care, abandonment, maltreatment. CPS investigations determined child’s positive development. Emotional expulsion from the home or refusal to allow that 63% of victims in 2001 suffered neglect; abuse is probably the least understood of all a runaway to return home, and inadequate 19% - physical abuse, 10% - sexual abuse, and child abuse, yet it is the most prevalent, and supervision. 8% - emotional maltreatment. can be the cruelest and most destructive of Emotional neglect includes such actions as Based on data reported by CPS agencies in all types of abuse. Emotional abuse may marked inattention to a child’s needs for 2001, it is estimated that nationwide, 2,000 involve criticizing, belittling, humiliating, affection, refusal of or failure to provide children died as a result of abuse or neglect. insulting, rejecting or withholding love from needed psychological care, spouse abuse in Based on this number, 5 to 6 children die each day a child. Emotional abuse can cause serious the child’s presence, and permission of drug as a result of child abuse or neglect. Of these behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental or alcohol use by the child. fatalities, 85% were children younger than 6- disorders. Exposure to domestic violence is years of age, and 44% were under the age of 1. another form of emotional abuse. Leaving a young child home Most often, the abuser is someone the child SEXUAL ABUSE alone or failing to provide knows, such as a parent, neighbor or relative. Sexual abuse occurs when there is any act of needed medical care may be PHYSICAL ABUSE sexual exploitation or any sexual act upon a considered neglect. The most visible form of child abuse, physical child in violation of the law which is committed or allowed to be committed by KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSE abuse is defined as any act which results in a Children who are abused may show physical non-accidental trauma or physical injury and the child’s parents or other persons responsible for the care of the child. Sexual and behavioral signs. Abused children may accounts for 19% of all substantiated cases of seem: child abuse. Inflicted physical injury most often abuse includes rape, touching/fondling or Nervous around adults or afraid of certain represents unreasonable, severe corporal involving a child in pornography. adults. punishment or unjustifiable punishment. This usually happens when a frustrated or angry .