Signs and indicators of abuse and neglect
Babies and young children’s behaviour, physical appearance and interactions with others can provide important insights into their lives and may indicate safeguarding concerns. However, it’s important to remember that potential signs will differ depending on the individual child, their age and stage of development, and the form of abuse they are experiencing.
Find out more about the signs and indicators of:
Conversations
If the child is able to talk, they may tell you things which alert you to something concerning happening in their lives. Young children are unlikely to make a one-off disclosure.1 They are more likely to present a picture over a period of time. So it’s important to record what they tell you in their own words.
Young children might:
- talk about things happening at home which suggest a potential safeguarding concern. For example, being left home alone, or with strangers, or parents or carers being angry or shouting all the time
- speak in ways that mirror what is happening to them. For example, they might use sexually explicit language.
Behaviour
The way children behave is an important form of communication. Whether behaviours are concerning or not will depend on the child’s age and situation.
Potential signs to look out for include:
- sudden changes in behaviour
- children becoming aggressive, or displaying sexualised behaviour to other children, adults or objects
- children becoming withdrawn or anxious, or fluctuating between extremes of emotions.
Health and physical appearance
Accidental bumps and bruises, getting messy and dirty and being tired, hungry or ill can all be normal parts of growing up. However, sometimes patterns of concerns can be a sign of something else going on in a child’s life.
Things to look out for include:
- bruising on a baby who is not yet crawling, or bruising in unusual places on mobile children2
- unusual or unexplained bite marks or burns3
- a child who regularly appears to be tired
- a child who is significantly underweight but seeks out food and eats well when fed
- poor hygiene and dirty or inappropriate clothing
- persistent, recurring and untreated infections such as sore throats, urinary tract infections (UTIs), ear infections, runny noses or skin complaints (including nappy rash).
Development
All children grow up at different rates; and children who have additional needs, disabilities or health-related issues may be at a different developmental stage from their non-disabled peers. Significant developmental delays may be due to diagnosed or non-diagnosed medical reasons or environmental factors or a combination of all of these.
If a child’s basic needs are not being met this can have a significant impact on their physical development.4 Trauma and adverse experiences can also negatively affect the development of a child’s brain.5
Children whose needs are not being met might:
- be late in reaching developmental milestones such as learning to speak or walk6
- experience disruption or regression in development such as toilet training, eating and interacting with other children.7
> Find out more about the effects of trauma and abuse on child brain development
Parent-child relationship
If you work with families, it’s important to make a note of any concerns around how parents or carers interact with their children. This might include patterns of:
- ignoring their child
- not showing affection towards their child
- not responding to their child’s emotional needs
- belittling their child or telling them they are not good enough.
A child’s emotional bond with their primary caregivers is of vital importance to their development. Sometimes circumstances, including bereavement or experiences of abuse and neglect, can make it more challenging for a child and their caregivers to form a secure bond.
An insecure attachment might in result in a child:
- being fearful or avoidant of a parent or carer
- becoming extremely distressed when their carer leaves them, even for a short amount of time
- rejecting their caregiver’s efforts to calm, soothe, and connect with them
- not seeming to notice or care when their caregiver leaves the room or when they return
- being passive or non-responsive to their carer
- being over-familiar with people they don’t know.
Only specially trained and qualified professionals should assess a child’s attachment style. However, all adults working with children should understand what attachment is and know how to help parents and carers become attuned to their child’s needs.
> Find out more about attachment and child development
Parents facing adversity
Parents may face challenges which can make it harder for them to provide their children with the care they need. It’s important to be aware of signs that parents or carers may be struggling, so you can help them get the support they need.
If you work directly with parents or carers, consider the potential impact on children of any concerns you identify, including:
Pick up and drop off
If you work with babies or young children, you may notice potential safeguarding concerns when you come in to contact with their parents or carers at pick up or drop off time.
For example, caregivers may:
- frequently turn up late to drop off or pick up their children
- get a wide variety of different people to pick up their children on their behalf
- appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when dropping off or collecting their child
- have a pattern of not bringing their children to sessions or appointments.
