Running head: CHILD ABUSE TRAINING 1

Corinne Baum

Child Abuse Training

Indiana University East

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During the month of December, I participated in an online child abuse training course. It

is my responsibility as a child care provider, to recognize and report any signs of child abuse.

This course was to ensure that I am able to do so.

Basically, child abuse is defined as, when an individual acts or fails to prevent something

that causes serious harm to a child under the age of 18. Upon further research, it has been found

that child abuse is anything that could lower the threshold from serious physical injury to bodily

injury, which requires impairment of a physical condition or substantial pain rather than severe

pain or lasting impairment; include behaviors that result in exposing children to potentially

harmful medical evaluations or treatment such as fabricating, feigning or inducing a medical

symptom or disease; lower the threshold for serious mental injury to include causing or

substantially contributing to the injury through any act or failure to act or series of such acts or

failures to act (Abuse and neglect, n.d.).

During the training that I completed, I reviewed how to recognize child abuse and what

many of the different indicators are, and what they mean. Child abuse is not always obvious and

many children are too young or too frightened to tell anyone what is happening to them. The

children that I work with are 12 months up to 8 years old. These children are those who may be

too young or too scared to tell their teachers or other caretakers. Children, especially younger,

more vulnerable children, are often unaware that what is happening to them is abuse (Abuse and

neglect, n.d.).

The following is a list of indicators that a child is being physically abused: unexplained

bruises, welts, human bite marks, bald spots; numerous bruises in various stages of healing,

meaning more than that of a typical young child; several marks on many surfaces of the body;

unexplained burns; withdrawal or extreme aggression; uncomfortable with physical contact if

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previously comfortable with it; afraid to go home; dressed inappropriately for the weather;

cringes when approached by an adult; overreacts to small accidents such as spilling milk; does

not want to talk about home life; extreme attachment to parents; or extreme attentiveness to

needs of parents (Training, n.d.).

The following is a list of indicators that a child may be sexually abused: complaints of

pain or itching in their genital area; bruises or bleeding on external genitalia; frequent urinary or

yeast infections; torn, stained or bloody underclothing; a child's report or any self-disclosure;

sexual knowledge beyond what is natural for a child; preoccupation with their body; acting out

sexual behavior; withdrawal; self-devaluation and lack of confidence; problems with bedtime or

afraid to go to bed; or bedwetting, especially if it begins in a child who has been dry (Training,

n.d.).

The following is a list of indicators that a child is experiencing neglect or psychological

abuse: unattended medical needs; consistent lack of supervision; persistent hunger, poor hygiene

or inappropriate dress; distended stomach or emaciated body; delayed physical development; any

substance abuse; regularly displays fatigue or listlessness; steals food or begs; habit disorders,

such as sucking or rocking; passive or aggressive behavior extremes; or neurotic traits such as

sleep disorders or inhibition of play (Training, n.d.).

If I notice any sign of any of these indicators in any of my children, as a mandated

reporter, I must report it. Professionals who come into contact with children are required to

report when they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child under the care, supervision,

guidance or training of that person or of their agency, institution or organization is an abused

child (Abuse and neglect, n.d.).

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References:

Abuse and neglect. (n.d.) Family support alliance. Retrieved December 6, 2017, from

http://www.pa-fsa.org/Mandated-Reporters/Recognizing-Child-Abuse-Neglect/Abuse-

Neglect-Definition

Training. (n.d.). Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Retrieved December 6, 2017,

from https://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/Licensing_Training.stm