Child Abuse

Definition:Definition:• The act of The act of

deliberately deliberately inflicting or causing inflicting or causing to inflict:to inflict:– Physical injuries Physical injuries

upon a childupon a child– Unreasonable Unreasonable

deprivation of basic deprivation of basic needs for survivalneeds for survival

***any act that debases, degrades or demeans the child*any act that debases, degrades or demeans the child

• any act of commission or omission that endangers or impairs a child's physical or emotional health and development. It includes any damage done to a child which cannot be reasonably explained and which is often represented by an injury or series of injuries appearing to be non-accidental in nature.

Special Child Protection Law(RA 7610) – Child Abuse

maltreatment of a child, whether habitual or not, which include any of the following: Psychological and physical abuse,

neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment;

Any act by deeds or words that debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being;

Special Child Protection Law(RA 7610) – Child Abuse

Unreasonable deprivation of his basic needs for survival, such as food and shelter;

Failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child resulting to serious impairment of his growth / development / in his impermanent incapacity or death

Consequences of Child Abuse

Seriously impair growth and Seriously impair growth and developmentdevelopment

Permanent incapacity (physical and Permanent incapacity (physical and psychological)psychological)

DeathDeath

Major Forms of Child Abuse

Physical Abuse/Maltreatment (also Physical Abuse/Maltreatment (also known as Child Battering)known as Child Battering)

non-accidental injurynon-accidental injury

Ex. Hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, Ex. Hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping, paddlingpaddling

Major Forms of Child Abuse

Physical NeglectPhysical Neglect Failure to provide for physical needsFailure to provide for physical needs

Ex. Lack of supervision, inappropriate Ex. Lack of supervision, inappropriate housing / shelter, inadequate housing / shelter, inadequate provision of food, inappropriate provision of food, inappropriate clothing for season/weather, clothing for season/weather, abandonment, denial of medical care, abandonment, denial of medical care, inadequate hygiene inadequate hygiene

Major Forms of Child Abuse

Emotional Abuse/MaltreatmentEmotional Abuse/Maltreatment Any attitude / behavior, which Any attitude / behavior, which

interferes with a child’s mental health interferes with a child’s mental health / social development/ social development

Ex. Yelling, screaming, name-calling, Ex. Yelling, screaming, name-calling, shaming, negative comparisons to shaming, negative comparisons to others, telling them that they are others, telling them that they are ‘bad, no good, worthless, a mistake’‘bad, no good, worthless, a mistake’

Major Forms of Child Abuse

Emotional Abuse/MaltreatmentEmotional Abuse/Maltreatment Failure to provide affection and Failure to provide affection and

support necessary for the support necessary for the development of a child’s emotional, development of a child’s emotional, social, physical, intellectual well-beingsocial, physical, intellectual well-being

Ex. Ignoring, lack of physical affection (hugs), not saying ‘I love you’, withdrawal of attention, lack of praise and positive reinforcement

Major Forms of Child Abuse

Sexual AbuseSexual Abuse Involvement in sexual activity with an Involvement in sexual activity with an

adult or any person bigger/olderadult or any person bigger/older Child used as a sexual objectChild used as a sexual objectEx. Fondling, penetration, intercourse, Ex. Fondling, penetration, intercourse,

exploitation, pornography, exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, child prostitution, goup exhibitionism, child prostitution, goup sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sexual actssexual acts

Signs and Symptoms of Child Abuse

Emotional AbuseEmotional Abuse ApathyApathy DepressionDepression Hostility / stressHostility / stress Lack of concentrationLack of concentration Eating disorderEating disorder

Signs and Symptoms of Child Abuse

NeglectNeglect Unsuitable clothing for the weatherUnsuitable clothing for the weather Dirty or unbathedDirty or unbathed Extreme hungerExtreme hunger Apparent lack of supervisionApparent lack of supervision

Effects of Child Abuse

Psycho-social EffectsPsycho-social Effects Socially-withdrawn/avoidant behaviorSocially-withdrawn/avoidant behavior Learning problemsLearning problems Extreme depression and suicideExtreme depression and suicide Sense of alienationSense of alienation Emotional breakdownEmotional breakdown

Psychological Impact of Child Sexual Abuse

““Damaged Goods” SyndromeDamaged Goods” Syndrome Regression/Immature behaviorRegression/Immature behavior Guilt – Guilt –

responsibility for sexual behaviorresponsibility for sexual behavior responsibility for disclosureresponsibility for disclosure responsibility for disruption of familyresponsibility for disruption of family

Psychological Impact of Child Sexual Abuse

Repressed Anger/Hostility Repressed Anger/Hostility anger at the offender/sanger at the offender/s anger at family members who failed anger at family members who failed

themthem anger at themselvesanger at themselves

Inability to TrustInability to Trust Blurring of role boundariesBlurring of role boundaries

Psychological Impact of Child Physical Abuse

Anxiety/ Fears Anxiety/ Fears Sleep disturbances/nightmares Sleep disturbances/nightmares Psychosomatic complaintsPsychosomatic complaints Mood changesMood changes Hypervigilance (Hypervigilance (Frozen Frozen

Watchfulness)Watchfulness) and and exaggerated exaggerated startle responsestartle response

Psychological Impact of Child Physical Abuse

Impaired self-controlImpaired self-control aggressive and assaultive behaviorsaggressive and assaultive behaviors oppositional behaviorsoppositional behaviors conduct problemsconduct problems inattention/hyperactivityinattention/hyperactivity

Penalty

Under the 1977 rape law, death penalty law and the Revised Penal Code, any government / public official who is found guilty of inflicting any forms of abuse to a child has a higher penalty.

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