Physical abuse is when someone hurts or harms a child or young person on purpose. It includes:

• hitting with hands or objects
• slapping and punching
• kicking
• shaking
• throwing,
• poisoning,
• burning or scalding,
• drowning,
• suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child.

It's important to remember that physical abuse is any way of intentionally causing physical harm to a child or young person. It also includes making up the symptoms of an illness or causing a child to become unwell.

Click here for more information on Signs of Physical abuse.

When a child or young person is sexually abused, they're forced, tricked or manipulated into sexual activities. They might not understand that what's happening is abuse or that it's wrong for the abuser to do this to them. They might be afraid to tell someone or behave as though this is normal for them to experience, both are valid for the child to be displaying. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere – and it can happen in person or online.

It's never a child's fault they were sexually abused – it's important to make sure children know this.

There are two types of sexual abuse – contact and non-contact abuse. And sexual abuse can happen in person or online.

Contact abuse is where an abuser makes physical contact with a child or forces the child to make physical contact with someone else. This includes:

• sexual touching of any part of a child's body, whether they're clothed or not
• using a body part or object to rape or penetrate a child
• forcing a child to take part in sexual activities
• making a child undress or touch someone else.

Contact abuse can include touching, kissing and oral sex – sexual abuse isn't just penetrative.

Non-contact abuse is where a child is abused without being touched by the abuser. This can be in person or online and includes:

• exposing or flashing
• showing pornography
• exposing a child to sexual acts
• making them masturbate
• forcing a child to make, view or share child abuse images or videos
• making, viewing or distributing child abuse images or videos
• forcing a child to take part in sexual activities or conversations online or through a smartphone.

Click here for more information on Signs of Sexual abuse.

Emotional abuse is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child. It's sometimes called psychological abuse. Emotional abuse can involve deliberately trying to scare, humiliate, isolate or ignore a child.

Emotional abuse is often a part of other kinds of abuse, which means it can be difficult to spot the signs or tell the difference, though it can also happen on its own.

Emotional abuse includes:

• humiliating or constantly criticising a child
• threatening, shouting at a child or calling them names
• making the child the subject of jokes, or using sarcasm to hurt a child
• blaming and scapegoating
• making a child perform degrading acts
• not recognising a child's own individuality or trying to control their lives
• pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations
• exposing a child to upsetting events or situations, like domestic abuse or drug taking
• failing to promote a child's social development
• not allowing them to have friends
• persistently ignoring them
• being absent
• manipulating a child
• never saying anything kind, expressing positive feelings or congratulating a child on successes
• never showing any emotions in interactions with a child, also known as emotional neglect.

Click here for more information on Signs of Emotional abuse.

Neglect is the ongoing failure to meet a child's basic needs and the most common form of child abuse. A child might be left hungry or dirty, or without proper clothing, shelter, supervision or health care. This can put children and young people in danger. And it can also have long term effects on their physical and mental wellbeing.

Neglect can be really difficult to spot. Having one of the signs doesn't necessarily mean a child is being neglected. But if you notice multiple signs that last for a while, they might show there's a serious problem. Children and young people who are neglected might have:

• Physical neglect
  A child's basic needs, such as food, clothing or shelter, are not met or they aren't properly supervised or kept safe.
• Educational neglect
  A parent doesn't ensure their child is given an education.
• Emotional neglect
  A child doesn't get the nurture and stimulation they need. This could be through ignoring, humiliating, intimidating or isolating them.
• Medical neglect
  A child isn't given proper health care. This includes dental care and refusing or ignoring medical recommendations.

Click here for more information on Signs of Neglect.

There are many other forms of abuse, such as abuse of children with a disability, racism, domestic abuse/violence, serious bullying; for more information go to one of the following useful websites or click the document links below


Click Here to visit NSPCC Website



Click Here to visit Think U Know Website

Child Exploitation

What is Exploitation?