Types of Child Abuse
There are four major types of child maltreatment: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse includes fondling a child’s genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and exploitation through prostitution or producing pornographic materials.
Suspect Sexual Abuse When You See:
- Physical signs of sexually transmitted diseases
- Evidence of injury to the genital area
- Pregnancy in a young girl
- Difficulty in sitting or walking
- Extreme fear of being alone with adults of a certain sex
- Sexual comments, behaviors or play
- Knowledge of sexual relations beyond what is expected for a child’s age
- Sexual victimization of other children
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child, or the genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child. The physical injury (ranging from minor bruises to severe fractures or death) can result from punching, beating, shaking, kicking, biting, throwing, stabbing, hitting, burning, choking, or otherwise harming a child. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caretaker intended to hurt the child.
Suspect Physical Abuse When You See:
- Frequent injuries such as bruises, cuts, black eyes, or burns without adequate explanations
- Frequent complaints of pain without obvious injury
- Burns or bruises in unusual patterns that may indicate the use of an instrument or human bite; cigarette burns on any part of the body
- Lack of reaction to pain
- Aggressive, disruptive, and destructive behavior
- Passive, withdrawn, and emotionless behavior
- Fear of going home or seeing parents
- Injuries that appear after a child has not been seen for several days
- Unreasonable clothing that may hide injuries to arms or legs
Neglect
Neglect is failure to provide for a child’s basic needs necessary to sustain the life or health of the child, excluding failure caused primarily by financial inability unless relief services have been offered and refused.
Suspect Neglect When You See:
- Obvious malnourishment
- Lack of personal cleanliness
- Torn or dirty clothing
- Stealing or begging for food
- Child unattended for long periods of time
- Need for glasses, dental care, or other medical attention
- Frequent tardiness or absence from school
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is mental or emotional injury that results in an observable and material impairment in a child’s growth, development, or psychological functioning. It includes extreme forms of punishment such as confining a child in a dark closet, habitual scapegoating, belittling, and rejecting treatment for a child.
Suspect Emotional Abuse When You See:
- Over compliance
- Low self-esteem
- Severe depression, anxiety, or aggression
- Difficulty making friends or doing things with other children
- Lagging in physical, emotional, and intellectual development
- Caregiver who belittles the child, withholds love, and seems unconcerned about the child’s problems
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Order your Save Jane t-shirt by going to phwf.bigcartel.com, calling us at (940) 322-8890, or coming by during our regular business hours. LIMITED SUPPLY! Cost is $20 for an Adult S - XL, or $25 for an Adult 2X - 3X.
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To kick off Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Month, Wichita Falls & surrounding counties will read names representing children abused last year in the 8 counties Patsy's House serves in our 2nd annual Save Jane event. The event will be held at Patsy’s House Children’s Advocacy Center (1411 10th St.) on April 1st, 2022, starting at 1:00 PM. Volunteers from Wichita Falls and surrounding communities will read the names and ages of children who were reported as abused in Wichita and surrounding counties in 2021. Because these children are minors and their identities must be protected, “Jane Doe” and “John Doe” will be used in place of their names. The first Save Jane event launched in Dallas 3 years ago. Patsy’s House Executive Director Denise Roberts states, “[We] hope that, through Save Jane, Wichita Falls and our surrounding counties will recognize the absolute magnitude and prevalence of child abuse in our area - it is everywhere you...
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April is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Pinwheels will be placed on the lawn at Patsy's House Children's Advocacy Center representing children abused in the counties we serve. Beginning in April, you can help symbolically wipe out child abuse by pulling one pinwheel for every $20 donation. Donations can be made during normal business hours at 1411 Tenth St., calling (940) 322-8890, or online at phwf.bigcartel.com or https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=2LUEXC3H6PGUE.Proceeds provide essential services to child abuse victims and their non-offending family members in our area.
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Order your retro t-shirt and hat! Go to phwf.bigcartel.com, call us at 940-322-8890, or come by 1411 10th St during regular business hours.
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