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Unit 5- Keeping Children Safe P4
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This is P4 from Unit 5 Keeping Children Safe. Overall, in this unit, I got a Distinction.
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Thanyha KirisankerBTEC Childcare
Unit 5 Keeping Children Safe
P4
Abuse
Abuse is the harming of a dependant child physically and/ or mentally. They can be
intentionally harmed by an adult or another child, it can be over a period also can be one-off
action. It can also happen in person or online. The Children Act 1989 does not use the term
‘child abuse’ it uses the words significant harm. In this report I am going to be talking about
emotional abuse, physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and female genital
mutilation (FGM).
Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child. It is also sometimes
called psychological abuse. Emotional abuse might involve making a child feel worthless or
unwanted, making them feel inadequate, threatening them with severe punishment,
forbidding them from having friends, influencing a child, or forcing the child to commit a
degrading act. In younger children, emotional abuse is more difficult to detect.
Signs and symptoms of emotional abuse
There are no clear physical indicators of emotional abuse because the child may not tell
anybody what is going on; thus, it is vital to watch for signs in the child's behaviour. Children
may appear unconfident or lack self-assurance because of emotional abuse, which may
include yelling at the child and calling them names, making the child the topic of jokes, or
using sarcasm to damage the youngster. They may struggle to manage their emotions, have
difficulties forming or keeping connections because the youngster was not permitted to
make friends, or they may never display any emotions in interactions with the child. Babies
and toddlers may exhibit distinct symptoms than older children who are too loving to
strangers or people they do not know well because they are not receiving that affection
from their parents. They may appear unconfident, apprehensive, or anxious because they
were often ignored as a youngster and failed to encourage the child's social development.
The child may not have a deep contact or link with their parent since the parents have been
absent or have never shown any emotions in interactions with a child, which is also referred
to as emotional neglect. Older children may act differently because they may begin using
language that you would not expect them to know for their age because they may have had
it shouted at them or used to call them names, or they may lack social skills since the
parents did not foster the child's social development.
Effects of emotional abuse
Emotional abuse can have long-term consequences for a child's social, emotional, and
physical health and development. This includes behavioural issues because emotional abuse
can change how a child behaves, such as wanting attention or becoming clingy because they
did not receive that affection from their parents, they don't care how they act or what
happens to them, trying to make people dislike them, and they may develop risky behaviour
such as stealing, bullying, or running away. Emotional abuse can also affect a child's
emotional development, including feelings, expressing, and controlling emotions; the
children may lack confidence or experience anger issues; they may find it difficult to form
, Thanyha Kirisanker
BTEC Childcare
Unit 5 Keeping Children Safe
P4
and maintain healthy relationships later in life; and they may experience higher levels of
depression and health problems as adults than those who experienced other types of child
abuse. Emotional abuse of a kid increases the chance of mental health problems such as
depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, self-harm, language
development, and difficulties building healthy relationships.1
Statistics on emotional abuse show us that around 1 in 15 children in the UK have been
emotionally abused. 2
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is when someone hurts or harms a child or young person on purpose. It can
also include making up the symptoms of an illness or causing a child to become unwell.
Physical abuse can also occur outside of the family environment. Babies and disabled
children have a higher risk of suffering physical abuse. It can include, hitting with hands or
objects, slapping and punching.
Signs and symptoms of physical abuse
Bumps and bruises may not always indicate that children have been physically abused, as
they could have resulted from tripping and falling on the floor. If a child sustains injuries on
a regular basis, there is a pattern to the injuries, and the explanations do not fit the injuries,
these should be documented so that further action can be taken. Bruises, broken or
shattered bones, burns or scalds, and bite marks are all signs of physical abuse. Other
injuries and health concerns may also be included, such as scars, the consequences of
poisoning, such as vomiting, drowsiness, or convulsions, or breathing problems caused by
drowning, suffocation, or poisoning. Head injuries in babies and toddlers can be indicators
of abuse, so keep an eye out for them. Swelling, bruises, fractures, being excessively
lethargic or unconscious, breathing issues, convulsions, vomiting, strange behaviour such as
being irritated or not feeding properly are all visible indications.
Effects of physical abuse
Physical abuse can have long-term consequences for children and adolescents. It can result
in poor physical or mental health later in life, including anxiety, behavioural troubles, eating
disorders, school issues, obesity. If a baby or infant is shaken or tossed, they may have head
or brain injuries that result in fractures, internal injuries, long-term disabilities, learning
challenges, seizures, hearing and speech problems, visual issues or blindness, behaviour
problems, brain damage.
Any family can be subjected to physical violence. However, some parents may find it difficult
to provide a safe and loving home for their children if they are experiencing poverty, poor
housing, drug and alcohol issues, mental health issues, relationship problems, domestic
abuse, isolation or lack of support, or the effects of childhood abuse or neglect. Babies are
1
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/emotional-abuse/
2
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/statistics-briefings/emotional-abuse#:~:text=It%27s
%20difficult%20to%20measure%20exactly,UK%20have%20been%20emotionally%20abused.
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