Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. All children have the right to be safe and to be protected from all forms of abuse and neglect. The signs of abuse can sometimes be difficult to spot, but individuals can play a big part in keeping children safe. You can help protect children by keeping your eyes and ears open, by being alert to signs that all is not well, and by acting on any concerns you might have.
Neglect
Neglect can result when adults fail to meet the basic physical and /or emotional needs of the children they are responsible for.
All children and young people need food, clothing, warmth, love and attention, in order to grow and develop properly.
Neglect is when a parent or carer fails to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment), medical care, or protection from physical and emotional harm or danger. It also includes failure to ensure access to education or to look after a child because the carer is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In pregnancy neglect may occur as a result of misusing alcohol or drugs.
Common indicators of neglect can include:
Frequent A& E attendances (e.g., for injuries); these are often associated with accidents through lack of supervision
Poor uptake of immunisations
Untreated medical conditions or not giving essential treatment regularly or consistently for serious illness and/or minor health problems
Poor dental hygiene and care
Inadequate or poor nutrition
Physical care and presentation of the child outside acceptable norms for the population (e.g., inappropriate clothing for the winter)
Child’s attendance at school is poor or the child is consistently late; parent takes no interest in child’s schoolwork
Parent carer does not have the ability or motivation to recognise and ensure the needs of the child are met
House is in a dirty, unkempt state with poor safety provision; children’s bedrooms may be worse than the communal areas
Parental behaviour i.e., substance misuse, domestic abuse, denial of access to child, frequent home moves, homelessness etc.
Neglect can often become an issue when parents are dealing with complex problems, sometimes including domestic abuse, substance misuse, mental health issues, social-economic issues or they may have been poorly looked after themselves. These problems can have a direct impact on a parent’s ability to meet their child’s needs. Even when parents are struggling with other personal issues they have a responsibility to care for their child or seek help if they are unable to parent adequately.
Neglect can have serious and long lasting effects. It can be anything from affecting early brain development, language delay, physical injuries from accidents, low self-esteem, poor school attendance, to, self-harm and suicide attempts. In the very worst cases where a child dies from malnutrition or being denied the care they need. In some cases it can cause permanent disabilities.
Though neglect can affect any child, its impact particularly applies to infants and very young children who, among all the age groups, are at the highest risk of death and/or incurring lasting mental and physical damage.
Neglect could result in a child who:
Is frequently absent from school
Begs or steals money or food
Doesn’t get the medical or dental care, immunisations or glasses they need
Lacks appropriate clothing, e.g., for weather conditions, shoes are too small, ill-fitted clothes
Wears clothes that are consistently dirty or ‘smelly’
Has teeth that are dirty, hair quality that is poor and contains infestations
Loses weight or is constantly underweight
Has suffered physical harm or danger because their parent or adult caregiver has failed to protect them.
The above may play a cumulative part in isolating the child, e.g., at school because of body odour or head lice, or because of violent behaviour.
The damaging effects of severe neglect can lead to accidental injuries, poor health, disability, poor emotional and physical development, lack of self-esteem, mental health problems and even suicide.
The degree to which children are affected during their childhood and later in adulthood depends on the type, severity and frequency of the maltreatment and on what support mechanisms and coping strategies were available to the child.
Assessment of Care Toolkit has been selected as our agreed Neglect Assessment tool within East Dunbartonshire.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is when a child is deliberately hurt or injured by another person.
Physical abuse can be a one-off severe incident or may happen repeatedly. Sometimes there can be obvious signs of physical abuse but sometimes it can be hidden. You might see someone hitting, kicking, shaking or otherwise assaulting a child or you may see a child with unexplained injuries such as bruising, burns or bite marks. A child may tell you that they have been hurt or injured or appear afraid to go home.
Head injuries in babies and toddlers can be signs of abuse so it's important to be aware of these. Visible signs include:
Swelling
Bruising
Fractures
Being extremely sleepy or unconscious
Breathing problems
Seizures
Vomiting
Unusual behaviour, such as being irritable or not feeding properly.
All children can injure themselves accidentally, especially young children, but if you already have concerns about a child, a new injury might mean they need help. For example, you might notice that a child has an obvious injury such as a limp or a sore arm which they deny or that they try to explain in a way which doesn’t seem to make sense. Equally, you may not have had previous concerns about a child but if the nature of an injury or a series of minor injuries has caused you to be concerned, you should seek help.
Effects of physical abuse
Physical abuse can have long lasting effects on children and young people. It can lead to poor physical or mental health later in life, including:
Anxiety
Behaviour issues
Criminal behaviour
Depression
Eating disorders
Issues at school
Obesity
Suicidal thoughts and/or attempts.
Physical abuse of children is never acceptable for any reason.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is when a child’s confidence and self-esteem is repeatedly damaged.
Emotional abuse includes:
Humiliating or constantly criticising a child
Threatening, shouting at a child or calling them names
Making the child the subject of jokes, or using sarcasm to hurt a child
Blaming and scapegoating
Making a child perform degrading acts
Not recognising a child's own individuality or trying to control their lives
Pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations
Exposing a child to upsetting events or situations, like domestic abuse or drug taking
Failing to promote a child's social development
Not allowing them to have friends
Persistently ignoring them
Being absent
Manipulating a child
Never saying anything kind, expressing positive feelings or congratulating a child on successes
Never showing any emotions in interactions with a child, also known as emotional neglect.
Emotional abuse can happen on its own but it’s always present alongside other forms abuse. Signs of emotional abuse can be hard to spot but it’s every bit as damaging as other forms of abuse.
Children and young people who are being emotionally abused might appear afraid of someone or be worried that they might displease them in some way. They may lack confidence and talk about themselves in a negative way. Others may appear unemotional and seem quiet and withdrawn.
A child experiencing emotional abuse might find it difficult to manage their own emotions, becoming angry or upset easily and then having difficulty calming down. They may also find it difficult to make friendships or keep them going and struggle to trust adults in their lives.
Emotional abuse can have very serious consequences for a child’s development, it’s always better to say something than do nothing.
Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse is when a child is forced or persuaded into sexual activity.
Child sexual abuse can happen to children of all ages, from babies to teenagers. Sexual abuse of children can happen in person, online, or both.
Emotional signs
Avoiding being alone with or frightened of people or a person they know
Language or sexual behaviour you wouldn't expect them to know
Having nightmares or bed-wetting
Alcohol or drug misuse
Self-harm
Changes in eating habits or developing an eating problem
Changes in their mood, feeling irritable and angry, or anything out of the ordinary
Change in normal behaviour for the child, for example suddenly not attending education or avoiding wanting to go home/running away.
Physical signs
Bruises
Bleeding, discharge, pains or soreness in their genital or anal area
Sexually transmitted infections, including in the throat
Pain/soreness in throat
Pregnancy
Difficulty in walking/sitting that are not usual for the child.
Children often feel responsible and can be persuaded by an abuser that what’s happening is all their own fault. However, child sexual abuse is only ever the fault of the abuser, it’s never the fault of the child.
Exploitation
Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse.
Child sexual exploitation happens through control, coercion, force, enticement and bribery – it never happens through choice. Young people as well as adults can commit child sexual exploitation.
Child sexual exploitation can affect girls and boys of any age, including 16 and 17 year olds. It can happen indoors, outdoors and online, and in any community including remote areas and villages, as well as towns and cities.
Signs of sexual exploitation:
Unhealthy or inappropriate sexual behaviour
Being frightened of some people, places or situations
Being secretive
Sharp changes in mood or character
A sudden change in their family/friend relationships/dynamics
Having money or things they can't or won't explain, such as hotel key cards or unexplained gifts
Physical signs of abuse, like bruises or bleeding in their genital or anal area
Sudden change in physical appearance including clothes and hygiene levels
Alcohol or drug misuse
Sexually transmitted infections
A sudden and urgent request to go onto contraception or to obtain the ‘morning after pill’
Pregnancy
Having an older person they view as their boyfriend or girlfriend
Missing from home or care, or stopping going to school or college
Hanging out with older people, other vulnerable people or in antisocial groups.
It’s important to understand that child sexual exploitation might not always feel harmful to a child or young person, but it has a damaging impact on the child or young person themselves, and on those around them.
Criminal exploitation
What is criminal exploitation?
Criminal exploitation is child abuse where children and young people are manipulated and coerced into committing crimes.
Signs of criminal exploitation:
Frequently absent from and doing badly in school
Going missing from home, staying out late and travelling for unexplained reasons
In a relationship or hanging out with someone older than them
Being angry, aggressive or violent
Being isolated or withdrawn
Having unexplained money and buying new things
Wearing clothes or accessories in gang colours or getting tattoos.
It’s important to be aware of the risks of criminal exploitation. Organised crime gangs can use different tactics to recruit and exploit children and young people, including bribing them with rewards, befriending them, and threatening them, or coercing them.
Risks associated with criminal exploitation:
Being subject to threats, blackmail and violence
Being exploited and forced to commit crimes
Being arrested, including for crimes committed by the gang that they have not directly committed
Risk of emotional abuse
Risk of severe injury or being killed
Abusing drugs, alcohol and other substances
Long term impact on education and employment options.
What is County Lines?
County Lines is the police term for urban gangs exploiting young people into moving drugs from a hub, normally a large city, into other markets - suburban areas and market and coastal towns - using dedicated mobile phone lines or “deal lines”. Children as young as 12 years old have been exploited into carrying drugs for gangs. This can involve children being trafficked away from their home area, staying in accommodation and selling and manufacturing drugs. This can include:
Airbnb and short term private rental properties
Budget hotels
The home of a drug user, or other vulnerable person, that is taken over by a criminal gang- this may be referred to as cuckooing.
Resources
National Guidance Child Protection Scotland 2021 updated 2023
Shattered_Lives_Stolen_Futures_Report_-_Full_Report.pdf
Child Sexual Abuse | IICSA Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
Publications - Child Protection Scotland
Neglect - Child Protection Scotland
Glasgow's Assessment of Care Toolkit
Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Protecting children from neglect | NSPCC Learning
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
