SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS

THE FOUR CATEGORIES OF ABUSE

There are four main recognised categories of abuse. They are Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional Abuse, and Neglect.

These are outlined below, with tips on what to look out for.

PHYSICAL ABUSE

Physical abuse can range from excessive smacking to inflicting injures so serious that the result can be permanent disability or death.

Physical abuse involves hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, punching, kicking, or otherwise causing physical injury to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child. This was formerly referred to as Munchausen’s Syndrome.

The symptoms of physical abuse manifest themselves as bruising on areas of the body where it would be difficult to have occurred accidentally, fractured limbs etc. Children can also be withdrawn, fearful, and aggressive.

It is important to note that this is not an exhaustive or definitive list, neither should one single symptom be seen as indicative of abuse, all known facts need to be considered.

SEXUAL ABUSE

This category involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape, buggery, or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts.

They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

It is almost impossible to recognise symptoms of sexual abuse which will result in abnormal medical conditions. It requires highly experienced medical professionals to diagnose abuse, and recent controversy within the medical profession simply emphasises the difficulties in this highly sensitive area.

Notwithstanding medical symptoms, the child may present as being withdrawn, fearful of adults, show inappropriate sexual knowledge for their age, extreme exposure or preoccupation with genitalia, unexplained sums of money, or gifts.

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the need of another person.

It may involve serious bullying causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation, or corruption of children.

Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment, though it may occur alone.

It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children.

These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another.

It is worthy of note that the issue of domestic abuse, and the negative effects for children living in an abusive household, is now recognised.

It is very difficult to recognise physical signs of emotional abuse but it may manifest itself by the child lacking in self confidence, as a result of constant criticism, poor interaction between parent and child, developmental delay, communication difficulties, self harming etc.

NEGLECT

Neglect is 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.

Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food and clothing, shelter including exclusion from home, or abandonment, failing to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger, failure to ensure adequate supervision including the use of inadequate care-takers, or the failure to unsure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to a child’s basic emotional needs.

Neglect is usually obvious. The child will be inappropriately dressed for the weather conditions, dirty, unkempt, poor personal hygiene, low weight and height for age, poor skin, and hair condition, constant hunger, voracious appetite, hiding food etc.

To emphasise again what has been previously stated, the indicators of abuse outlined above must not be taken in isolation. The list is not definitive, neither is it exhaustive.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT ABUSE

The reality is that incidents of abuse of a child by an adult within a church setting is, thankfully rare, but you may have concerns for a child or family, within the wider community.

Any concerns around a child, or the conduct of an adult towards a child, should be reported to either the designated Child Protection representative, the incumbent, or the Diocesan Child Protection Officer. Please do not allow this reporting procedure to be delayed. On very exceptional and rare occasions, the need for medical attention or immediate Police attendance may be needed

INVESTIGATION OF SUSPECTED ABUSE

It is essential to remember that it is not the responsibility of anyone within the Church to investigate. Child Protection investigations can be sensitive, complex, and require a great deal of expertise and experience.

Normally the requirement from the Church community is that any concerns are reported to the parish designated Child Protection person, and to the Diocesan Child Protection Officer. Certain circumstances may dictate that the local authority social care or the Police should be contacted first. In this instance the Diocesan Child Protection Officer should be informed at the first opportunity.

WHY DO PEOPLE FEEL RELUCTANT TO REPORT ABUSE?

It is appreciated that for a lay person to report what they suspect to be abuse of a child or concern around an adult’s conduct towards a child, or children can be a daunting experience.

Concerns such as “What if I am wrong,” the social standing of the person concerned within the community, the impact on the family concerned, the impact on the church community, are questions raised by those considering referring abuse.

To balance some of these concerns it should be remembered that children very rarely lie about abuse.

Professionals from all agencies involved in safeguarding children will have undergone specialist training. They will be well experienced and will act with sensitivity and discretion.

The aim of professionals is not to remove children from the family unit but to work with the family. Removal of a child happens in rare and exceptional circumstances.

If reporting suspicions of abuse is difficult for an adult, then please consider the trauma a child faces in such circumstances. An abuser will have conditioned and groomed the child, using threats and fear to prevent disclosure. The child will have had to overcome all of these inhibitors, and built up sufficient trust and faith in an adult to disclose to them.

QUESTIONING

HOW TO QUESTION EFFECTIVELY

Some questioning may be necessary to establish basic facts. Use only open questions. It is important to emphasise that any questioning must be kept to an absolute minimum.

SOME DO’S AND DON’TS

· DO listen without interruption to what the child is saying.

· DO reassure the child that they are not to blame and they are doing the right thing by telling.

· Do stay calm.

· DO be honest and tell the child what will happen next.

· DON’T make promises to the child. As an example do not tell them that you will keep what has been said, secret.

· DON’T interrogate the child, as stated above it is for others to investigate.

· DON’T criticise the alleged perpetrator

· DON’T ask leading questions, for example, “Was it your dad that caused that bruise”

THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING WRITTEN RECORDS

A written record of disclosure or concerns you may have relating to a child, or adult should be made, based on what you have seen or heard. Use the exact words or term used by the child.

In the event of a disclosure from a child, a record of the conversation should be made as soon as is practicable. These should be kept safe. It may be that the police will need to have these.