Cruelty to Children

One of the most unpleasant and difficult to understand crimes is that of cruelty to children. Many of us have children of our own and would never dream of causing them any physical or emotional harm. However, each year there are hundreds of cases of child cruelty throughout the UK.

Child Abuse

There are several forms of cruelty to children but the most common – and indeed the most difficult to understand – is child abuse, either physical or emotional. Child abuse is commonly thought of as having unlawful sexual relations or contact with a child. This is a deeply disturbing event for the sufferer, in many cases destroying their lives and leaving them feeling vulnerable and unable to maintain relationships with others around them.

Signs of Child Sex Abuse

Common tell-tale signs that a child may be suffering from abuse are:

• Withdrawn behaviour
• Refusal to communicate
• Refusing to spend time in the company of adults
• Being afraid of a particular adult
• Truancy
• Displaying aggressive behaviour
• Being overly familiar with the use of sexual terms and slang

Of course, sexual abuse is not the only form a cruelty that can be inflicted upon a child. There are other forms just as unpleasant and uncalled for; they include:

• Neglect
• Domestic Violence
• Physical Abuse
• Emotional Abuse

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Neglect

Neglect is not looking after a child’s welfare to the best of an adult’s ability. It can manifest itself as a child looking dirty or perhaps unwashed, and often they are left alone for long periods of time to look after themselves. A child suffering the effects of neglect may also appear to be hungry all the time or have lost an unusual amount of weight in a short period of time.

Domestic Violence

It is common for children living in a home where domestic violence is prominent to be the victims of such violence, too. Often when an individual is drunk or highly strung, he or she may lash out at anyone around them, and this can sometimes include the children. It is common place for children to try to defuse volatile situations between warring parents, the results of which can include bodily harm such as smacking, punching or severe bruising.

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Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is different from sexual abuse, and can be best described as beating a child for reasons that are perhaps nothing more than trivial annoyances. Some parents, especially those under great deals of stress, can lash out at their children in moments of blind fury and can cause bruising, cuts or broken limbs as a result of their actions.

Emotional Abuse

This kind of abuse is one that many people might argue is hard to detect. An adult may shout at their child, refuse to cuddle them or praise them when they do something well. They even tell them that they are not loved or are unwanted – something that no individual adult or child wishes to be told. This can have a knock-on effect in that child’s adult life, damaging their self-esteem and confidence and making them feel as though they are inferior or incapable of finding someone to love them.

If you suspect that a child you know is the recipient of such abuses, you should first try to find out from them if there is a genuine problem. If you do find that such a problem exists, contact your local social services – the details of which you can find in any Yellow Pages or telephone directory. Alternatively, contacting the NSPCC (National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children) is also a good idea.

The Next Step

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