Signs and Sympton of Child Abuse, care for children and young people

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Kerri Baldwin        BTEC National Diploma in Health and Social Care        U10; P4

Signs and symptoms of child abuse

Working as a student nurse in the Accident and Emergency Department you need to know what to look for when it comes to recognising the signs and symptoms of child abuse. The first step for helping children who are being neglected or abused is the learn how to recognise these signs and symptoms of child abuse. There are four different types of abuse, these are physical, sexual, emotional and neglect. If you are unsure or worried about the welfare of a child you should do something about it, don’t keep it to yourself.

Physical Abuse

This type of abuse is intentional and non-accidental to the child. The abuser purposely sets out to hurt the child with physical force and violence. Physical abuse includes throwing, hitting, shaking, poisoning or suffocating. It can also involve the adult providing the child with alcohol and inappropriate drugs.

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Physical observations

  • Bruising on upper arms, shoulders, neck, consistent with gripping.
  • Unexplained burns and scalds, especially cigarette burns and burns that are caused from lengthy exposure to heat.
  • Human bite marks
  • Fractures, most particularly spiral fractures (a fracture which runs around the axis of the bone).
  • Swelling and lack of normal use of limbs.
  • Any serious injury with no explanation.
  • Untreated injuries.


As well as looking out for the physical signs it is important to look out for unusual behaviours from the child, here are some examples below.

Behavioural observations

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