Name: Zae12Mcmorrow1
Case Study
P3- Explain the factors that would lead to suspicion of child maltreatment or abuse.
I am currently a support assistant in a reception class, and I work with 4 children in a small group.
I've seen several behavioural changes from one of the children in my class named Xavier. In addition,
I have shared my concerns with the teacher of the class so that, depending on the situation, he can
raise consciousness of it against the parents of the child or even greater authority. I have made a
record of my observations and possible interventions to help the child to ensure that some of the
factors mentioned below do not impede the academic development of the child. I also presented
some of the responses the school might make to ensure that the safety and well-being of the child is
well taken care of.
Physical abuse
Moreover, there are several variables that can lead to suspicion of maltreatment or neglect of
children. One of the young children in my reception class has bruised limbs, for example. Therefore,
since the child might have been sexually abused for several reasons, it is very suspicious. For
example, since they do not pay much attention to their child, the child may not have a shared
relationship with their parents, so the parents of the child may not encourage or care for the child.
In addition, this applies to the theory of sociology, as this theory focuses mainly on our evolving
culture and how these developments have influenced the functioning of the family. For example,
when people suffering from health issues are more likely to be survivors of sexual violence,
unemployment, inadequate housing, low incomes, disadvantages, and poor health are all seen to
lead to violent conditions.
In addition, social influences such as attitudes about the use of physical punishment to discipline
children and the media representation of abuse and sex can also lead to children's abusive
behaviour. It is seen, however that parents will punish children if they don't act or if they don't listen
to their parents by physical violence, such as slapping, punching, and hitting. As this approach was
used to punish children in countries such as Pakistan and the African region, this may have been
passed down culturally.
Psychological abuse/ bullying
Another aspect that can lead to suspicion of child maltreatment or neglect is psychological abuse, as
it is when a person is subjected to behaviour that can lead to psychological distress. Ignoring, for
instance, is a form of psychological abuse activity, as this may be when a parent is not present to
respond to a child or does not look at their child or call their name. Another type of psychological
abuse is also denial, as this can be a failure to respond to the needs of a child. This may lead the child
to withdraw from peers or to have behavioural changes such as frustration, aggression, and changes
in school performance. Another form of psychological abuse is often verbal, as this may involve
bullying and intimidating a child, which can cause the child to have a loss of trust, so the child does
, 2
not talk to other children as often. It is necessary, however, to bear in mind that it could be the
obligation of other adults and relatives to abusive cases, whereas violence through bullying or
harassment can be carried out by other children or young people.
Emotional abuse
The child appears to be isolated from the other children, but in the last few weeks the child has also
had a change in actions as they insulted other children and were caught in several instances where
the child has been name calling and threatening the children. As the child has been behaving very
oddly over the last few days, this is a sign of emotional abuse. For many reasons, emotional abuse
can occur. The family of the child may have been involved in a threat of harassment or even
abandonment, for instance. This may make the child feel frustrated, so for example, they might feel
depressed and take their actions out on other children by name calling.
Thus, belittling or undermining a pupil can destroy a child's self-esteem, by institutional belittling and
they will lack trust. This means they'll be hesitant to try anything different. If the child is absolutely
dominated, then it may hinder the developmental process. For instance, since they are not
permitted to get ‘dirty’ or engage in ‘messy play’, the child may be held back from growing normally.
Children who are threatened will be disconnected and lack trust in their own abilities in a systemic
way. If the threats start abruptly, the conduct of the child will change, and the care and education
worker should be aware of this in the early years.
Intellectual abuse
Intellectual abuse happens when development suffers the cognitive abuse of an infant. This may
occur for a range of reasons. They may be unable to think or act mentally when a child is abused in
other ways. For instance, if they are emotionally abused, in pain or are starving or in fear of their life,
they cannot think properly. Similarly, they would not be able to learn efficiently if they are deprived
of time at school or of basic educational resources, or if their work is deliberately damaged.
Neglect
Neglect can be difficult to detect. We have tips on the types and symptoms of neglect and what you
should do if you are concerned about an infant. There are signs of neglect that a support assistant
may observe a child at school having:
• inappropriate clothing
• being dirty or smelly
• having an unkempt appearance
• being underweight – always hungry
• having skin irritations
• being withdrawn
• being isolated
• being dejected
• having low self-esteem
