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How to Help
How to spot abuse
There are lots of signs that a child is being abused. Sometimes the child will not say anything for fear of being blamed or not believed. Some of these signs may include:
-Purposly avoiding someone for no apparent reason
-Physical injuries that cannot be explained like bruises, cuts etc.
-Fearful behavior like nightmares and depression
-Social withdrawl or desperately affectionate behavior
-Failing in school
-Attempts to run away
-Sudden changes in self confidence, and much more.
Bascially, if you sense unusual behavior in your child or another child that you know, child abuse may be the reason why they have changed or are acting the way they are. Sudden changes in behavior are a big indicator that a child is being abused.
-Purposly avoiding someone for no apparent reason
-Physical injuries that cannot be explained like bruises, cuts etc.
-Fearful behavior like nightmares and depression
-Social withdrawl or desperately affectionate behavior
-Failing in school
-Attempts to run away
-Sudden changes in self confidence, and much more.
Bascially, if you sense unusual behavior in your child or another child that you know, child abuse may be the reason why they have changed or are acting the way they are. Sudden changes in behavior are a big indicator that a child is being abused.
What to do yourself
You can tell when a child is being abused in your home or community, and you can help. If you know a child is being abused, you can contact your local pediatrician or a local child protection agency. You can also contact local law enforcement or local child protection services. One good way to help is to speak out against abuse and to support organizations that fight child abuse. The best way to stop abuse is to speak up and when you see the signs of child abuse, do something about it. Talk to the affected child, and ask them about what happened. Help them through their dark time, and if it is needed, bring it to a judge in court if conditions are so bad the child needs to leave the family. But the very best way to prevent abuse is to make sure that it never happens in the first place.
How to prevent it
You can easily prevent abuse in your own home if you know when you are going too far. The main purpose of a family is to provide nurturing, healthy and happy relationships with the children. Make sure to offer the child love and give them lots of attention when they need it. If the child does something wrong, don't immediately get angry at them. Talk through it with them and offer help if needed. Reaching out to other families in the area is good too because you all can keep each other accountable for behavior and make sure that nothing bad is happening. You can also have family talks about how everyone is feeling and making sure that everyone feels loved and that they belong in the family.
Helplines
1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
National Child Abuse Helpline
1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-244-5373)
Prevent Child Abuse America