Module Three

MODULE THREE:
TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE

INTRODUCTION
• Child abuse occurs in various situations, for various reasons.

Abused children will often experience more than one type of
abuse and other difficulties in their lives. It is difficult to
measure the prevalence of abuse in our society and attempts
to measure so far have been faced with difficulties of
underreporting for many reasons.
• 3.2 PURPOSE
• The purpose of this module is to describe the common types
of abuse in children, their definition, the possible physical
signs and possible behavioural signs exhibited in children
MAJOR TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE
• Although classifications of child abuse differ, these have
classified the various forms of child abuse under five types:
• Physical Abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional or Psychological Abuse
• Commercial or other exploitation of a child /Economic Abuse
• Neglect (Physical neglect, educational neglect, emotional
neglect
Physical Abuse
Definition: Any intentional act causing injury or trauma to a child
by way of bodily contact. It involves beating, kicking, punching,
biting, spanking, corporal punishments, poisoning, burning and
other ways of harming a child.
Possible Physical Signs
• Bruises, bruising which looks like hand or finger marks, burns,
cigarette burns, scalds, sprains, dislocations, human bites, cuts
• Injuries that the child cannot explain or explains unconvincingly
• Untreated or inadequately treated injuries
• Injuries to parts of the body where accidents are unlikely, such as
thighs, back, abdomen
Possible Behavioural Signs
• Becoming sad, withdrawn or depressed
• Having trouble sleeping
• Behaving aggressively or being disruptive
• Showing fear of certain adults
• Fear of returning home or of parents being contacted
• Showing lack of confidence and low self-esteem
• Being very passive and compliant
• Using drugs or alcohol Chronic running away
Sexual Abuse
• Definition: Occurs when dependent, developmentally
immature children and adolescents participate in sexual
activities that they do not fully comprehend, to which they
are unable to give informed consent, and that violate the
social taboos of family roles.
• Pain, itching, bruising or bleeding in the genital or anal areas.
• Genital discharge or urinary tract infections
• Stomach pains or discomfort walking or sitting
• Sexually transmitted infections
• A marked change in the child’s general behaviour. Unusually
quiet and withdrawn, or unusually aggressive.
• Showing unexpected fear or distrust of an adult/s.
• Child starts using sexually explicit behaviour or language,
particularly if the behaviour or language is not appropriate
for their age.
• The child may describe receiving special attention from a
particular adult, or refer to a new “secret” friendship with an
adult or young person.
• Recent onset of /sudden bedwetting
Emotional Abuse
• Definition: Involves acts or omissions by guardians and

caregivers that cause or could cause serious behavioural,
cognitive, emotional or mental disorders. This includes
parents/care givers using extreme and bizarre forms of
punishment, such as confinement in a closet or dark room or
being tied to a chair for long periods of time, threatening or
terrorizing a child. This form of abuse often accompanies the
others.
• Possible Physical signs
• Physical, mental and emotional development is delayed
• Highly anxious
• Showing delayed speech or sudden speech disorder
• Low self-esteem
• abnormal emotional responses to painful situations
• Extremes of passivity or aggression
• Dressed inappropriately for the season or the weather
• Poor personal hygiene
• Is inadequately supervised or left in the care of an inappropriate care
giver.
• Untreated medical problems
• Frequently hungry
• Malnourishment
• Frequent lateness or nonattendance at school
• Untreated medical problems
• Poor social relationships Drug or alcohol abuse
• Chronic running away
Commercial and other exploitation of a child/ Economic Abuse
• Definition: Refers to the use of the child in work or other

activities for the benefit of others. This includes, but is not
limited to, child labour and child prostitution. These activities
are to the detriment of the child’s physical or mental health,
education, or spiritual, moral or social and emotional
development
• Injuries
• Child abandons schooling
• Child combines school attendance with excessively long and
heavy work.
• Child involved in prostitution
• Parents push girls into sexual activities to earn some money
Neglect
• Definition: The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic
physical and /or psychological needs, likely to result in the
serious impairment of the child’s health or development.
• Examples include child overburdened with household chores,
child denied money for food in school and this lead to
truancy, disabled children neglected, and lack of attention for
medical, dental or psychological problems
• Anaemia as result of poor feeding
• Lack of clothing, food, or supplies to meet physical needs
• Evidence of poisoning
• Signs of malnutrition

• Children roaming around the village both during day and
night
• Taking food or money without permission
• Eating a lot in one sitting or hiding food for later
IMPORTANT NOTES ON IDENTIFYING CHILD ABUSE
• Child abuse often occurs in the context of multiple problems

within a family or social environment, including poverty,
violence, substance abuse, and unemployment.
• Distinguishing consequences that are associated directly with
the experience of child abuse itself rather than other social
disorders can be a daunting task
• Fabricated or induced illness is a well-recognised category
though it is not documented cases in Ghana
Note about diagnosing Child Abuse:
• You should be aware of the various terminologies used in
violence against children
• A child may be subjected to a combination of different kinds
of abuse and some of the signs may cut across the various
types of abuse.
• A child may show no outward signs and hide what is
happening from everyone
• You need to define and understand the various forms of child
abuse
• Caretakers admit telling lies to care providers when they have
hurt their children during child discipline.

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MODULE THREE:

TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE

• Child abuse occurs in various situations, for various reasons.

• Definition: Involves acts or omissions by guardians and

• Definition: Refers to the use of the child in work or other

Possible Behavioural Signs

• Child abuse often occurs in the context of multiple problems

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