What To Look For

Children often do not speak directly about sexual abuse. Here is a list of behavioral indicators:

• Unusual interest in and/or knowledge of sexual acts and language inappropriate to the child's age. The child may focus on sexual matters to the exclusion of other activities and interests.
• Seductive behavior with classmates, teachers, or other adults.
• Excessive masturbatory behavior.
• Wearing many layers of clothing, regardless of weather.
• Continual avoidance of bathrooms. Some abuse within homes occurs in bathrooms, and some children come to associate any bathroom with sexual abuse.
• Reluctance to go to a particular place or be with a specific person.
• Frequent absence or late arrival to school, especially if the same person always writes the notes.
• An abrupt change in behavior or personality.
• An abrupt change in behavior or response to personal safety lessons in the classroom.
• Drastic change in appetite.
• Anxiety, irritability, constant inattentiveness.
• Regression.
• Over-compliance, extreme docility.
• Compulsive behaviors such as hoarding or constant washing.
• Appearing to have overwhelming responsibilities.
• Acting out adult sexual behavior.
• Suicidal threats, gestures, causing deliberate harm to her/himself.
• Use of alcohol or drugs.
• Aggression, anger directed everywhere.
• Sleep disturbances such as bedwetting and nightmares.
• Withdrawal, depression, excessive crying.
• Low self esteem. Lack of friends.
• Attempts to touch adult's, child's, or animal's genitals.
• In appropriate dress, such as tight and/or revealing clothing.
• Reluctance to undress for physical education, continual avoidance of PE class. Some children believe they have been "marked" and others will realize they have been abused once they undress.
• Reluctance to go home after school, or constant early arrival.
• Marked decline in interest in school and in academic performance.
• Indirect hints, alluding to problems at home.

Any one of the above does not necessarily mean sexual abuse has occurred. These are signs the child may have a problem that needs attention.

There also may be physical signs:

• Physical pain the area of private body parts
• Blood-stained underwear
• Rectal bleeding

Physical abuse is most often indicated by obvious signs of physical injuries:

Unexplained bruises and welts:

• On the face, lips and mouth.
• In various states of healing (bruises of different colors, for example, or old and new scars together).
• On large areas of the torso, back, buttocks, or thighs.
• In clusters, forming regular patterns, or reflective of the article used to inflict them (electrical cord, belt buckle).
• On several different surface areas (indicating the child has been hit from different directions).
• Appearing as identical marks on both sides of the body.

Unexplained Burns, including:

• Cigar or cigarette burns, especially on the soles of the feet, palms, back or buttocks.
• Immersion or "wet" burns, including glove or sock-like burns and doughnut-shaped burns on the buttocks or genitals.
• Patterned or "dry" burns, which show a clearly defined mark, left by the instrument used to inflict them (e.g., electrical burner).
• Rope burns on the arms, legs, neck or torso.

Unexplained Fractures:

• To the skull nose or facial feature.
• In various stages of healing (indicating they occurred at different times).
• Multiple or spiral fractures.
• Swollen or tender limbs.
• Any fracture in a child under the age of two.

Unexplained Lacerations and Abrasions, including:

• To the mouth, lips, gums or eyes.
• To the external genitalia.
• On the backs of arms, legs or torso.

Unexplained Abdominal Injuries, including:

• Swelling of the abdomen.
• Localized tenderness.
• Constant vomiting.

Human bite marks (especially when they appear adult size or are recurrent).

Bald spots and scalp bruising (caused by hair pulling).

A physically abused child may:

• Be wary of physical contact with adults (avoid or shrink away from any adult's touch).
• Display extreme behavior (extreme aggressiveness or extreme withdrawal).
• Fear his or her parents.
• Fear going home, or cry when it is time to leave a protected environment.
• Report injuries.
• Seem anxious to please and to let others say and do things to him/her without protest.
• Frequently be late or absent from school.
• Consistently arrive early to school or stay long after it is time to go home.
• Wear extra clothing to conceal injuries.
• Give unbelievable explanations for his or her injuries or claim no knowledge of the source of injuries.
• Seek more than an average amount of affection from other adults.
• Exhibit habit disorders (sucking, rocking, biting or eating disorders).
• Have lags in emotional and intellectual development.

A physically abusive parent or caretaker may:

• Use harsh discipline which does not fit the "offense" or the age of the child.
• Complain that the child cries too much or "causes trouble".
• Be angry or defensive when asked about problems concerning the child, or appear uninterested and unconcerned.
• Offer illogical or unconvincing explanations for a child's injuries.
• Appear cold or unloving toward the child.
• Misuse drugs or alcohol.
• Believe harsh, physical discipline is the only way to control the child.