Child abuse can affect children and young people of any age and background, and affects both boys and girls.
An abused child often experiences more than one type of abuse, as well as other difficulties in their lives. It often happens over a period of time, rather than being a one-off event, and it can increasingly happens online.
You might notice that a child or young person:
- has unexplained bruising
- seems quiet or withdrawn or afraid to go home
- appears constantly hungry, tired or untidy
- is left unsupervised or has too much responsibility for their age
- acts in a sexually inappropriate way or misuses drugs or alcohol
- tells you something that worries you
If you have concerns, you should report it straightaway
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is the causing of physical harm to a child or young person. Physical harm may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child
Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately causes illness in a child.
Bullying
Bullying is behaviour that hurts someone else - such as name calling, hitting, pushing, spreading rumours, threatening or undermining someone. It can happen anywhere, at school, at home or online. It's usually repeated over a long period of time and can hurt a child both physically and emotionally.
Bullying that happens online, using social networks, games and mobile phones, is often called cyberbullying. A child can feel like there's no escape because it can happen wherever they are, at any time of day or night.
It can be hard for adults, including parents, to know whether or not a child is being bullied. A child might not tell anyone because they're scared the bullying will get worse. They might think that they deserve to be bullied, or that it's their fault.
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse is any act that involves the child in any activity for the sexual gratification of another person, whether or not it is claimed that the child either consented or agreed. Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.
The activities may involve physical contact, or non-contact activities.
Contact activities can include:
- assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex)
- non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing
Non-contact activities can include:
- involving children in looking at; in the production of; or distribution of sexual images
- encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways
- grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet)
Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Preventing child sexual abuse in Scotland
Upstream is an online resources that helps adults in Scotland to prevent child sexual abuse and to protect the next child.
Read more about Upstream.
Neglect
Neglect can be the persistent failure to meet the basic physical and emotional needs of a child which can cause serious impairment to the child's health or development.
Persistent means a pattern which may be intermittent or continuous that has caused, or is likely to cause, significant harm. However, single instances of neglectful behaviour also occur which can be harmful. Neglect can occur in the context of various stressors and is an indicator of the need for support and protection. When neglect is recognised early, support can be put in place in order to prevent harm.
Read the signs of neglect and the long term impact.
Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless and unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person.
It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child's developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation or exploration and learning, or preventing the child participation in normal social interaction.
It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or 'making fun' of what they say or how they communicate. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It also may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children.
Other forms of abuse include Child Sexual Exploitation (link to CSE General Info page), and Radicalisation.
Find more information on all types of abuse with some signs and indicators on the NSPCC website.