CHILD PHYSICAL ABUSE

8. Admissions by Parents
Notes:

 

 Admissions by parents

  • 'off the cuff' statements
  • facial expressions and body language and child’s reactions
  • general conversation
  • referring to their own childhood or family history where physical violence was used

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Information:

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You might hear Parents refer casually to giving their child ‘a flogging’, or ‘laying into them’ because they did something wrong. Parents may tell you that their child wouldn’t do that or else they’d “cop a flogging”.

'Off the cuff' remarks like this can indicate that the standards for physical punishment in that household may be harsh and may even include physical abuse.

Parents may not even realise that what they are doing is physical abuse – they may just be parenting the only way they know how – so in cases like this reporting is especially important because these families need help, support and education to understand the harm they are causing to their children.