Child abuse

Child abuse is the physical or psychological maltreatment of a child. Child abuse is often synonymous with the term child maltreatment or the term child abuse and neglect. There are many forms of abuse and neglect and many governments have developed their own legal definition of what constitutes child maltreatment for the purposes of removing a child and/or prosecuting a criminal charge. In the United States, the Federal Government puts out a full definition of child abuse and neglect and creates a summary of each State definition. To view, go to Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect: Summary of State Laws that is part of the 2005 State Statute series by the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information.

Reporting abuse and neglect in the US
Anyone in the U.S. may make an anonymous report of abuse or neglect. Abuse which is happening right now can be reported by anyone to emergency services by dialing 911 or calling their local police department, who will be able to assist.

Abuse and neglect need to be reported at the state or local level, not to the federal government. Most, but not all, states have a toll-free hotline staffed by trained call screeners. When you call, they will either open the case for investigation, or log the report. Depending on available resources and the department's legal mandate, one report may not be enough to open a case, but a detailed report about a potentially serious case, or multiple reports (by different reporters), may be enough. At that point, someone will investigate the family. The investigators may determine there is no evidence of maltreatment, that there is evidence enough to offer support to the family in the home, or that there is evidence enough to remove the child from the home. Some people who work with children are mandatory reporters. Each State and U.S. Territory designates individuals, typically by professional group, who are mandated by law to report child maltreatment. Such individuals often include health care workers, school personnel, child care providers, social workers, law enforcement officers, and mental health professionals.

Some States also mandate animal control officers, veterinarians, commercial film or photograph processors, substance abuse counselors, and firefighters to report abuse or neglect. Four States--Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, and South Dakota--include domestic violence workers on the list of mandated reporters. Approximately eighteen States require all citizens to report suspected abuse or neglect regardless of profession.

In any state, an adult in charge of a child who has actual knowledge of child abuse (for example, who sees a stranger, a friend, or a family member abusing the child), and fails to report the abuse, can be charged with one or more crimes.

Childhelp USA
Founded in 1959 by Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson. Childhelp USA is one of the largest and oldest national nonprofit organizations dedicated to the prevention of child abuse, neglect as well as to the treatment of its victims in the United States. Childhelp's programs, which directly serve abused children and their families, focus on meeting the children's physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs. In 2005, Sara and Yvonne were both nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Reporting abuse and neglect in Australia
Child abuse and neglect is the subject of mandatory reporting in most Australian jurisdictions. Usually professional people such as doctors, nurses and teachers are bound to report strong evidence of abuse or neglect. State authorities, such as the Child Protection Unit of the Department of Human Services (Victoria), have statutory authority to investigate and deal with child abuse.

Authorities
Depending on the country, the agencies responsible for investigating child abuse may be run nationally, regionally, or locally. These agencies may be called Child Protective Services (CPS), Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), or by other similar names. In the U.S., these agencies are usually listed in the state government section of the telephone book under "Children" or "Health" or "Human Services". In a few instances in the U.S., some of the functions of these agencies are outsourced to private individuals or companies.

People who investigate claims of child abuse may be called a "children's social worker" (CSW) or a case worker.

Child abuse by authorities
Schools and correctional facilities are frequently charged with child abuse. One particularly notorious program is the Tranquility Bay operation on Jamaica run by the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools.

Symptoms and signs
From Medline

Symptoms

 * Adult brings an injured child to an emergency room with an improbable explanation of the cause of the injury, or the injury is not recent
 * Unusual and unexplained bone fractures
 * Bruise marks shaped like hands, fingers, or objects (such as a belt), or unexplained bruises in areas where normal childhood activities would not usually result in bruising
 * Specific patterns of scalding, seen when a child is immersed in hot water as a punishment -- particularly "glove" or "sock" burn patterns
 * Burns from an electric stove, radiator, heater or other hot objects, usually seen on the child's hands, arms or buttocks
 * Cigarette burns on exposed areas or the genitals
 * Black eyes in an infant or a similar, unexplained injury in a child
 * Human bite marks
 * Lash marks
 * Choke marks around neck
 * Circular marks around wrists or ankles (indicating twisting or tying up)
 * Separated sutures
 * Bulging fontanelle
 * Evidence of unexplained abdominal injury (such as bruised or ruptured intestines due to punching)
 * Unexplained unconsciousness in infant
 * Survivors of childhood abuse often report feelings of anger and helplessness towards their abusers.

Signs and tests
Typical injuries in abused children include:
 * Erectile disfunction
 * Hairy palms
 * uncontrolable masterbation
 * Evidence of fractures at the tip of long bones or spiral-type fractures that result from twisting
 * Fractured ribs, especially in the back
 * Evidence of skull fracture (multiple fractures of different ages may be present)
 * Subdural hematoma (collection of blood in the brain) without plausible explanation
 * Multiple bruises of different ages, especially in unusual areas of the body (e.g., not the shins) or in patterns suggesting choking, twisting, or severe beating with objects or hands
 * Other unusual skin damage, including burns or burn scars
 * Inability to speak
 * Torn / dirty clothing
 * anal warts
 * Bleeding from the anus
 * Dark circles under the eyes
 * holes in penis

Long Term Complications

 * Bleeding from the testicles or labias and uncontrolable diaheria

Notable incidents of child abuse

 * The death of Elisa Izquierdo
 * The death of Nixzmary Brown
 * The death of Joseph Wallace
 * The death of Nadine Lockwood
 * The Joel Steinberg case
 * The death of Justina Morales