Domestic Violence Child Abuse and Neglect

Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse is normally characterized in physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Physical abuse is the non-accidental injury of a child. Sexual abuse entails any act of sex upon or with a child for the perpetrator's sexual gratification (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 2011). Emotional abuse entails engaging in chronic acts that interfere with a child's psycho-social health.

A classroom teacher can easily identify a child who has been abused or neglected because signs of abuse are observable in a classroom setting. Teachers also easily identify these children because of the significant time they spend with them (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 2011). The teachers can be sensitive to the chronic occurrence of the signals or sudden changes in a child's behavior which would point to a shift in this child's family environment. The frequency of repetition of these signs is reason enough for an educator to act.

Child's appearance, his behavior, and behavior of the parent could be a sign that a child is being abused physically, mentally, or emotionally.

The child may have bruises, welts or marks on his body. These may be seen after some protracted absence from school. The signs can also be seen after vacation, weekend, or illness. The child may wear clothes inappropriate to the weather such as long sleeve shirt during hot weather conditions. They tend to do this to conceal the bruises inflicted on them by their abusers or because they are embarrassed about the occurrence of the abuse (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 2011). Teachers should also keenly observe children with excessive sunburn, illnesses, colds, and insect bites. These may be a pointer to the predicaments the child is facing at home especially prolonged exposure to housing conditions potentially hazardous to the child's physical health.

Children subjected to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse tend to be reluctant to change their clothes for gym activities. They do so to hide the bruises, welts, and marks. They behave in such a manner because they embarrassed of the difference in his body relative to others (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 2011). Sudden change in behavior of children who are in adolescent stage is a reason for an educator to start suspecting abuse to these children. The abused child may be reluctant to participate in physical activities. They may also experience difficulty in walking or sitting (Besharov, 1990). The child may consistently express hunger. This is a sign that they are not properly fed. Some children exhibit chronic tiredness and may even sleep in class. Lateness to school is a sign that a child is attending to responsibilities that are inappropriate to his age (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 2011). Other signs include frequent unexplained absences, medical needs that are unattended to, wariness of physical contact with adults, aggressiveness, hostility, violence, sudden change in a child's behavior, abrupt changes in academic performance, delay in acquisition of gross motor skills, alienation from peers, promiscuity beyond the level of age and maturity, and drug abuse.

The parent of the abused child may appear disinterested in the child's serious problems. He may be reluctant when it comes to returning calls from the child's teachers, or even refuse to discuss the child's problems. He may be extremely irritated with the child's performance. Another sign that the child is being abused is when the parent shows lack of maturity (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 2011). This puts the child at risk of abuse and neglect because of the parent's inability to make prudent decisions. The parent may at times appear overly protective.