INTRODUCTION
Signs or clues
- Physical or emotional or verbal clues from a child or adult.
- Things you see, hear or notice that could mean a child is being or has been abused.
- Disclosures from a child or other witnesses including Parents, Caregivers, siblings, other children or other adults.
- Learn how to identify the signs of abuse - the indicators - so that you can protect the children in your care and stop abuse.
Definition of Disclosures - the act of making something known
Indicators are the signs and signals – physical and emotional – that you might see or notice that can mean a child is being or has been abused. Indicators could be information given to you or that you find out even from the child themselves. Indicators can be clues that a child has been abused or is likely to suffer abuse.
The best indicator is an open disclosure from a child or a witness – that means that the child tells you that abuse is happening, or another person including another child tells you that the abuse is happening.
We will look at the different categories of abuse and examine some of the indicators that you may notice when a child is being, or is at risk of being, abused or neglected.
