Abuse can take on many forms and it varies from physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse.
Any form of child abuse should be reported in order for the child to be protected.
Remember that the process of evaluating abuse in order to compile a report for court purposes is not a therapy process. The focus is unfortunately not on healing the child but to obtain information in order to compile a report for court purposes. The child’s behaviour may change during the evaluation process and she / he may be very emotional. It is a good idea that the child also attend therapy sessions with a qualified psychologist whom will liaise with the Evaluator of the abuse.
Physical signs of abuse:
Sometimes physical abuse has clear warning signs:
• Unexplained bruises, welts or cuts are present.
• The child has unexplained burns, bites, broken bones, or black eyes.
• The Child has fading bruises or other marks noticeable after an absence from school.
• While all children will take a tumble now and then, look for age-inappropriate injuries, injuries that appear to have a pattern such as marks from a hand or belt, or a pattern of severe injuries.
Emotional child abuse
Examples of emotional child abuse are verbal abuse; excessive demands on a child’s performance; penalizing a child for positive, normal behaviour (smiling, mobility, exploration, vocalization, manipulation of objects); discouraging caregiver; penalizing a child for demonstrating signs of positive self-esteem; and penalizing a child for using interpersonal skills needed for adequate performance in school and peer groups. In addition, frequently exposing children to family violence and unwillingness or inability to provide affection or stimulation for the child in the course of daily care may also result in emotional abuse.
Sexual child abuse
Sexual abuse, defined as any sexual act between an adult and a child, has components of both physical and emotional abuse. Sexual abuse can be physical, such as inappropriate fondling, touching and actual sexual penetration. It can also be emotionally abusive, as in cases where a child is forced to undress or exposing a child to adult sexuality. Child sexual abuse is an abuse of power that encompasses many forms of sexual activity between a child or adolescent (most often a girl) and an older person, most often a man or older boy known to the victim.
The process of evaluating
To evaluate abuse is a process and cannot be done in one or two sessions. The child needs to first trust the Psychologist before she / he will be willing to make disclosures. It may also happen that the child is just not ready to disclose and the process of evaluation may be terminated if the child is not ready. One must always keep in mind what is best for the child and not for the parents who often want revenge.
1. Background information is obtained from parents, caregivers or school teachers.
2. Age appropriate psychological tests will be used to evaluate the child psychometrically.
3. Clinical observations of the child during the sessions will be noted.
4. Appropriate questions will be asked to obtain additional information from the child.