This list is not exhaustive. It is not a replacement for using qualified professionals if you suspect a child is in danger. I did not write this list, I don't know where I got it from. I have had it for about 13 years. Several of the signs stated here are also signs of other problems.
The A B Cs Of Abuse
Abnormal body awareness, numbing, detachment
(depersonalization and/or derealization)
Abrasions or cuts appearing on the body which have
no apparent reasonable explanation
Ambidexterity; evidence of different writing styles,
widely fluctuating drawing abilities
Asthma
Auditory hallucinations (hearing voices, usually "inside"
head)
Behaviour that does not appear "normal" e.g. severe
anxiety around other children or adults, antisocial
behaviour in the form of hostile aggression or
withdrawal behaviour accompanied by depression.
Belief that his/her soul is "lost", "sold" or "possessed"
Behaviour which indicates apathy or depression
Behaviour which is antisocial and hostile in nature
Bruises or welts appearing on the body, especially
those which reveal the shape of some object which
was used to produce them. e.g. sticks, belts, buckles,
electric cords, a hair brush, etc.
Bruises which are unexplained or located on parts of
the body which usually do not get bruised through the
bumps and falls of a child's everyday living.
Burns caused by rope friction, usually found on legs,
arms, neck or torso as the result of having been tied
up.
High pain tolerance; lack of awareness of injury or
illness
Burns which leave a pattern outlining the object which
was used to make the burn such as an iron, electric
burner, heater or fireplace tool.
Burns with a "sock" or "glove-like" appearance on
hands, or feet and " doughnut:" shaped burns on the
buttocks. These types of burns are usually caused by
either dipping or forcing the child to sit in scalding
liquid.
"Caretaker" tendencies with corresponding
self-neglect or abuse
Childs clothing appears to be stained, torn or bloody
Child continually hungry
Child expresses or implies sexual activity with a parent
or other adult
Child has been diagnosed with having VD of eyes,
mouth, genitalia or anus.
Child reports pain, itching, bruises, or bleeding in the
genital area
Child shows withdrawn behaviour, refusing to
participate or dress appropriately for physical activities
such as swimming
Child speaks of home with a lot of fear and anxiety,
but is fearful of intervention
Chronic bladder infections
Chronic night terrors
Clothing not suitable for weather conditions
Compulsive or obsessive thoughts; rumination
Confusion about family roles & relationships;
fluctuating knowledge of family roles and relationships,
occasional confusion about who is mother or father
Confusion and/or concern about what constitutes
childhood
Consistent lack of cleanliness/or an intense obsession
with cleanliness.
Convoluted thinking; exaggerated tendency to
anticipate the motives of others, especially authority
figures
Does not seem to understand play, inability to play,
excessively anxious to know "rules"
Eating disorders; food phobias, especially "red" food,
meat, or herbs (anxiety response rather than simple
dislike)
Epileptic-type seizures or episodes of fainting or
unconsciousness with no medical explanation
Evidence of frequent trance states (forgetfulness,
confused denial of witnessed behavior); high
vulnerability to trance state induction (for example,
during "storytime" or in response to poetry, music,
rhythmic sounds, etc), yet phobic of "formal" hypnosis
induction techniques
Evidence that the child's physical or medical needs are
not being met.
Exaggerated startle reflex, especially followed by
evidence of dissociation and/or amnesia
Exaggerated reliance on state-dependent learning;
evidence of inconsistent skills and knowledge
Exaggerated sense of guilt and responsibility for others
Exaggerated tendency toward age-inappropriate
abstract thought or analysis with a corresponding
ignorance of basic instinctual knowledge, e.g.
abnormal ideas about eating , sleeping , elimination,
death, identity
Excessive superstition about numbers (especially 3,
multiples of 3, 7 & 13) and symbols (especially
pentagrams, crosses, circles, runes)
Expectation that he/she will be thought "crazy", "bad"
or "evil"
Extreme compliance with authority figures; severe
alienation from peers
Extreme fluctuation in skills, behavior, appearance
"Flat" affect; confused and/or inappropriate emotional
responses, especially to scenes of violence or abuse
Fear of being photographed
Fear of eye contact
Fear of physical contact, hugging, touching
Frequent incidence of excema or other symptomatic
skin disorders and non-specific skin irritations
Frequent somatic symptoms or illness accompanied by
lack of complaint (uninitiated disclosure) or awareness
Frequent weeping without the ability to relate to a
reason, or with denial of emotion
Highly phobic with multiple triggers
Human bite sized bites, especially those that are adult
sized.
Hyperviligilance; insomnia (only able to sleep in
morning or during daylight)
Inability to differentiate fantasy from reality
Injuries in various stages of healing which appear in a
regular pattern or are grouped together
Lack of congruent short-term memory; confused
personal history
Lack of supervision especially in dangerous situations
or while participating in activities which extend over
long periods of time.
Loss of appetite, refusal to eat
Minimal or no ability to defend self; marked
inconsistency in aggressive or self-protective abilities
Olfactory hallucinations, especially when followed by
dissociative episodes
Precocious knowledge of metaphysics, philosophy,
mythology or ethics, especially with no conscious
memory of having studied these subjects); assumption
that information or knowledge can "come to you"
without learning
Rapid mood swings or "simultaneous" contradictory
emotions, e.g. laughing and crying, angry yet
submissive
Ritualized behavior (things must be done in a certain
order or in a proscribed way in order to be "safe")
Self-mutilation, usually hidden
Sexually responsive to perceived "perpetrator" figures;
contradictory sexual naivete, modesty, repressed
sexuality with others
Small circular burns appearing on face, arms, hands,
buttocks or soles of feet which may have been inflicted
by a cigar or cigarette
Statements that imply an assumption of parallel,
contradictory realities, for example that there is an
"inside" world and an "outside" world with opposing
rules, or that everyone performs acts that must be kept
secret
Suicidal ideation and attempts from an early age
Tattoos or unusual scars (scalp, behind ear, palm of
hand, inside thigh, over heart, next to nipples); "box
scars"
Uncharacteristic episodes of severe, unfocused
anxiety, e.g. crouching on floor, rocking, nail biting,
compulsive scratching or biting of the self
Unexplained fractures to nose, face, ribs, legs or other
parts of the body
Unwanted pregnancy occurs, and child is afraid to
mention partners name
Visual hallucinations (blood, knives, animals, eyes)
Young Child shows knowledge or interest in adult
sexual behaviour, not appropriate for his/her age group
4 comments:
This is a great list, and a good resource for someone who might be wondering if a child in their life is being abused.
A couple of things: I know the list was intended to be presented in alphabetical order, but that intention seems to have created the necessity of repetition. And therefore the list is too long, especially since the list contains things that need explanation. For example, the inclusion of erratic drawing capabilities. I understand what the words mean, but not the connection to sexual abuse.
Such mysterious items (ambidexterity etc.) make the list fascinating even though the list is so terribly saddening.
Finally, the list is so helpful!
Such lists lead to false accusations which would lead to more damage than actual abuse itself.
This is very useful: I am disturbed by Miqlos's ignorant and damaging comment.
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