Child Abuse
Neglect
Emotional Abuse
Physical Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Features of Neglect
Children being left alone without adequate care and supervision
Malnourishment, lacking food, unsuitable food or erratic feeding
Failure to provide adequate care for the child’s medical and developmental needs
Inadequate living conditions – unhygienic conditions, environmental issues, including lack of adequate heating and furniture
Lack of adequate clothing
Inattention to basic hygiene
Lack of protection and exposure to danger or lack of supervision appropriate to the child’s age
Persistent failure to attend school
Features of emotional abuse
Rejection
Lack of comfort and love
Lack of continuity of care (for example, frequent moves, particularly unplanned)
Continuous lack of praise and encouragement
Persistent criticism, sarcasm, hostility or blaming of the child
Bullying
Conditional parenting in which care or affection of a child depends on his or her behaviours or actions
Extreme overprotectiveness
Inappropriate non-physical punishment (for example, locking a child in bedroom)
Ongoing family conflicts and family violence
Seriously inappropriate expectations of a child relative to their age and stage of development
Features of physical abuse
Beating, slapping, hitting or kicking
Pushing, shaking or throwing
Use of excessive force in handling
Deliberate poisoning
Fabricated/induced illness
Female genital mutilation
Features of sexual abuse
Any sexual act intentionally performed in the presence of a child
Sexual intercourse with a child
Sexual exploitation of a child including inviting, coercing or inducing a child to participate in, or to observe any sexual, indecent or obscene act
Showing sexually explicit material to children, which is often a feature of the ‘grooming’ process by perpetrators of abuse
Consensual sexual activity involving an adult and an underage person (in criminal law the age of consent to sexual intercourse is 17 years for both boys and girls)
How do you recognise Child Abuse?
You may have observed signs of abuse or have grounds for concern such as, where a child has a suspicious injury or appears distressed for no obvious reason.
If you ignore what may be signs or symptoms of abuse, it could result in ongoing harm to the child.
They need to know that they will be believed and will get the help they need.
The Child and Family Agency provides more information on the types of child abuse on its website and how to recognise them. It is not necessary for you to prove that abuse has occurred to report a concern to the Child and Family Agency .
(DCYA 2017)
How do I report a concern?
Anyone who suspects that a child is being abused, or is at risk of abuse, has a duty to report their suspicions to Tusla.
You should report your concerns to the Tusla social work duty officer in the area the child lives.
(Tusla 2017)
(Dunman 2022)
(Beeman 1999)