Impact of abuse, violence, and exploitation on children

Impact of abuse, violence, and exploitation on children

“…You can’t forget something like that. I’ll still be dealing with things later down the track. It’s always going to be in the back of your mind. I don’t think it will ever go away…”

– 16 year old Belinda

In order to achieve good health and social and emotional well-being, children need supportive and nurturing environments. Child exploitation and abuse traumatises children and adversely affects their development and well-being. 

At its core, child exploitation and abuse undermines a child’s right to grow up safely.

Research clearly indicates that children who have been abused or neglected often have poorer outcomes on many indicators of health and well-being including social, emotional, physical, and psychological functioning (Lamont, 2010).

  • Permanent Physical Damage
  • Developmental Trauma
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Low Academic Achievement
  • Developmental Problems such as delayed emotional and social development, and learning difficulties
  • Self Harming and Suicidal Behaviour
  • Aggression and acting out Behaviour
  • Difficulties making and maintaining positive relationships

Without support, these consequences can last a lifetime. With support and assistance children can recover from the devastating consequences of abuse and neglect.

Below are some definitions of child abuse.

These are followed by some of the indicators of abuse in children and young people.  It is important to note that these indicators are just indicators and can be observed at times when a child or young person is troubled by something that may or may not be caused by abuse.

Adults who are in regular contact with a particular child or young person may notice changes in behaviours that indicate something is wrong.  Remember it is important to act to support a child or young person whatever the reason for their change in behaviour.

Child Abuse

Child abuse is the mistreatment by an adult of a child or young person that has harmed, is harming or is likely to harm or endanger that child or young person’s physical or emotional health, development or wellbeing. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes but is not limited to emotional or psychological abuse, bullying, grooming, sexual exploitation, neglect and child harassment.

Child/Young Person–

A child or young person is a person under the age of eighteen years.

Emotional or Psychological Abuse–

Emotional or psychological abuse occurs when a child or young person does not receive the love, affection or attention they need for healthy emotional, psychological and social development. Such abuse may involve repeated rejection or threats to a child or young person. Constant criticism, teasing, ignoring, threatening, yelling, scapegoating, ridicule and rejection or continual coldness are all examples of emotional abuse. 

Family Violence–

Family violence is defined as violence between members of a family or extended family or those fulfilling the role of family in a child or young person’s life. Exposure to family violence places children and young people at increased risk of physical injury and harm and has a significant impact on their wellbeing and development.

Grooming–

Grooming is a term used to describe what happens when a perpetrator of abuse builds a relationship with a child with a view to abusing them. 

It is a difficult thing to detect and can often look like taking that little bit of extra care with a child, but involves behaviours that can be crossing professional boundaries when viewed as a pattern, and can involve the child, their family or even your organisation.  

Your responsibility is to notice that a behaviour is crossing professional boundaries, breaching a code of conduct, or appears to be in some way out of the normal work duties of the person whose behaviour you are concerned about and report it to your supervisor.

Neglect–

Neglect is the persistent failure or deliberate failure or denial to provide the child with the basic necessities of life. Such neglect includes the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, adequate supervision, clean water or medical attention to the extent that the child’s health and development is, or is likely to be, significantly harmed. 

Physical Abuse–

Physical abuse occurs when a person subjects a child to non-accidental physically aggressive acts. The abuser may inflict an injury intentionally or inadvertently as a result of physical punishment or the aggressive treatment of a child. Physically abusive behaviour includes (but is not limited to) shoving, hitting, slapping, shaking, throwing, punching, biting, burning, excessive and physically harmful overtraining, and kicking. It also includes giving children or young people harmful substances such as drugs, alcohol or poison. 

Sexual Abuse–

Sexual abuse occurs when an adult or a person of authority (e.g. older) involves a child or young person in any sexual activity. Perpetrators of sexual abuse take advantage of their power, authority or position over the child or young person for their own benefit. It can include making sexual comments to a child, engaging children and young people in sexual conversations over the internet or on social media, kissing, touching a child’s genitals or breasts, oral sex or intercourse with a child. Encouraging a child to view pornographic magazines, websites and videos is also sexual abuse. 

Sexual Misconduct (Specific to Reportable Conduct Scheme)–

‘Sexual misconduct’ captures a range of inappropriate behaviours of a sexual nature that are not necessarily criminal.

Examples of sexual misconduct include:

  • developing an intimate relationship with a child, for example, through regular contact with the child without the knowledge or approval of the organisation’s management
  • inappropriately discussing sex and sexuality with a child
  • other overtly sexual acts that could lead an organisation to take disciplinary or other action.