Frequently Asked Questions about Child Abuse

What is child abuse?

People often ask us where the line is drawn between child abuse and parental discipline.  Loving discipline corrects a behavior in order to teach a child appropriate social and living skills. Abuse tends to be carried out in anger, loss of control, and with disregard, whether intentional or unintentional, for the child's safety and well-being.  The line is crossed and abuse occurs when an action causes physical and/or emotional trauma to the child. Child abuse can take the form of neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.  For some children, all four of these forms of abuse are a tragic reality.

Physical child abuse leaves terrible outward signs such as cuts, bruises, welts, burns, lacerations, abrasions and bites. Physical abuse can result in head, skeletal and/or internal injuries.

Sexual abuse, on the other hand, rarely leaves outwardly visible signs, but the effects are devastating. Sexual abuse includes fondling, sexual touching, indecent exposure, allowing a child to watch or hear sexual acts or materials, rape or attempted rape. In short, sexual abuse is any kind of sexual activity with a child.

While neglect and emotional abuse do not get as much media attention, they are the most common and frequently, the most "invisible" forms of child abuse.   An emotionally abused child may react by behaving in an aggressive manner outside the home, or they may present as very withdrawn; the key is to take note of any extreme behaviors as those often indicate that a child is in some sort of crisis. 

Who Abuses Children?

At least 90% of child abuse is committed by someone the child knows and trusts. In fact, the most dangerous place for many children is their own home; over 50% of abuse cases occur in the child's home. Outside the home, we see cases where children have been abused by neighbors, relatives and friends, teachers, ministers, coaches… the list is endless. Contrary to popular belief, more children are hurt by someone they know rather than a stranger. Although stranger abuse is the smallest category, children must also be educated on how to reduce their risk of stranger abduction. At our center, we provide education for parents on how to protect their children from threats both near and far from home and healing for those who have already been victimized.

Child abusers may be male or female, young or old, of any race, rich or poor, from the city or from the suburbs. Abusers come from every kind of neighborhood and every kind of community.

What are the Effects of Child Abuse?

Children show the effects of abuse in different ways. Common results are behavior problems, withdrawal, seductive or aggressive behavior, running away, eating disorders, phobias, depression, nightmares, sleep disturbances, suicidal thoughts and attempts, venereal disease, pregnancy, loss of trust, loss of self esteem and… feelings of guilt. Child abuse victims almost always feel that what happened was their fault! They sincerely believe that they did something to bring the pain upon themselves.

Many abusers tell children the abuse was their fault in hopes they won’t tell what happened; and more often than not, it works. Many children never tell that they are being hurt. At The Children’s Advocacy Center we see adults of all ages, even people in their 80’s, who are just now, for the first time, telling about childhood abuse. They are just now revealing their hidden pain and starting on the road to recovery.

Warning Signs

If a child talks about being abused, always take him or her seriously! Some professionals have a legal obligation to report suspected abuse.

Look for any pattern or unusual location of physical injuries. Never ignore:

• bruises on the face or soft body areas
• welts, burns or bite marks
• pain, swelling or redness in the genital area

Also look for major changes in a child’s behavior. These may include:

• begging for or stealing food
• fear of a specific person or place
• aggressive or withdrawn behavior
• unusual knowledge of sex
• acting out sexually with other children

Can Child Abuse Victims be Helped?

We know that counseling helps children recover from abuse. We have documented the following post-therapy results:

• Improved School Attendance: average school days attended: 87%
• Improved Grades: Parents who reported improved school grades: 89%
• Improved Behavior: Parents who reported improved behavior: 90%
• Reduction/Elimination of Abuse-Related Symptoms: 91%
• Reduce Risk of Re-Abuse: Number of clients who re-open with a new charge of abuse: 2% or less
• Number of clients referred to counseling who do not attend and who are later referred again with a new charge of abuse: 47%
• Other Positive Changes: 90% of youth and/or parents report the following:
• Child knows self-protective skills to reduce the chance of being re-abused in the future
• Child is able to express that he/she is not responsible for the abuse
• Child shows signs of increased self-esteem and feelings of well-being

How to Report Child Abuse and Rape

Everyone in the State of Florida is a mandated reporter. If you suspect or know that someone is abusing a child, call the Abuse Hotline:

1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873)

Rape Crisis Hotline    1-800-940-7273
Adult , Adolescent, and Children 

Resources

Agency Statistics

FAQ's About Child Abuse

A Child's Story