Pre-School near Me: To protect abused children, caregivers should be aware that indicate physical violence. Physical abuse can be defined as any injury that is not accidental to a child’s body. Children who have been physically abused can be tempted to cover up their damages or provide absurd explanations for injuries, like broken bones.
What Kind of Care Providers Need to Be aware of Physical Abuse
- Physical injuries from abuse typically result from unintentional or harsh punishment. Abuse may include throwing, smacking, or hitting the child. Some of the more severe cases could be burns, bites, and pokes or welts: bone fractures, bent limbs, or injuries to brain tissue.
- Children often slide down and hit objects. Such accidents may cause injuries to the elbows and chins, noses, foreheads, and other bony parts at Pre-School near Me. However, marks and bruises on the soft tissues of the back, face, neck, buttocks, upper legs, arms, ankles, backs of legs, and genitals are likely to result from physical abuse. Another sign to watch out for is the appearance of bruises at various levels of healing. They may be indicative of multiple incidents of abuse.
- The most frequent cause of death resulting from physical assault is a head injury, also known as a shaken baby syndrome (S.B.S.). This usually occurs when a frustrated parent or an adult shakes a crying infant. Infants have giant heads, heavy heads, and weak neck muscles. If an infant is shaken, their brain is thrown back and forth within the skull. Shaking causes rupture and tear of nerves, blood vessels, and brain tissues.
The majority of victims of S.B.S. are younger than one year old. Around 50% of those affected suffer fatal deaths. Children who survive are often left with permanent injuries, such as blindness, hearing loss, seizures, developmental delays, problems with learning and speech, and paralysis.
Signs of shaken babies syndrome include severe irritability, low energy, difficulty suction or swallowing ability, breathing difficulties, nausea, seizures, variable sizes of pupils, pale or blue skin, difficulty lifting the head, and inability to concentrate the eyes or follow the movement of the head.
- Helping to change diapers or helping children go to the bathroom can reveal bruises and other injuries typically hidden by clothes. Abusive parents are conscious or unaware that the evidence of their abuse must be hidden and often dress their children in long sleeves or long pants.
- The abdomen or the head can go unnoticed unless there are internally-related traumas. Injuries to the stomach can result in vomiting, tenderness, and swelling. Head injuries can result in dizziness, swelling, blackouts, retinal detachment, or death. Mainly, having dark eyes that appear in both eyes simultaneously may indicate bleeding within the brain.
Identifying Signs of Physical Abuse
Think about whether you are at risk of assault when…
The baby:
- There are no explanations for the mysterious burns or bites, bruises, broken bones, or eyes that are black.
- Have fading bruises or other marks that are noticeable following the absence of
- Feels scared of their parents and cry or protest when it’s their turn to leave.
- Shrinks upon the appearance of adults
- Injuries reported by parents or a different adult caregiver
The adult or parent caregiver:
- Provides inconsistent, ineffective explanations or offers no reason for the child’s injuries
- A child is described in terms of “evil” or in a highly negative way
- Utilizes physical punishments that are harsh to the child
- Is a victim of in a situation of abuse as an infant
Examples of Behavior That May Suggest Physical Abuse
Kids could exhibit behavioral indicators that suggest they’ve suffered physical abuse alongside the biological indicators. These examples could indicate physical abuse, particularly in the case of physical evidence, such as scrapes or bruises.
“Jackie,” 3 years old, hurry to grab her blanket when she hears a crying child. She reaches for her blanket and rock between her hands, shouting, “No hitting, no hitting.”
“Daniel,” 2 1/2 years old, is usually taken care of by his Mom. When the father comes to pick him up, he shouts and is secluded behind his child care provider’s legs. The child care provider spotted him playing with dolls in the past and told him, “I told you no wet pants. Now I’m beating you in the back.”
“Peter,” 3 1/2 years old, who has been an adorable child, resents his care provider’s requests to put him into his crib at night or refuses to lie on her lap and listen to the story.
“Kathy,” 4 years old, creates havoc throughout the morning by constantly getting toys from other children. She spends her afternoon in the corner of books by herself and loves to stroke her blanket.
After waking up, six months old “Miguel” lies quietly in his crib. He glances around the room but does not scream or try to attract his childcare provider’s attention.
