Identifying Safeguarding Concerns

There are four main types of abuse concerning young people.

Physical

• This encompasses any harm of a physical nature to a young person which was either intentionally inflicted or knowingly not prevented. 

• Abuse of this type could include hitting, punching, biting, scratching, burning, poisoning, drowning. 

Emotional

• This encompasses psychological harm to a young person through emotional mistreatment.

• Abuse of this type could include humiliation, control, criticism, name-calling, threatening, manipulation, withholding love.

Sexual

• This encompasses any abuse of a sexual nature. This can take place both in-person and online.

• Abuse of this type could include physical sexual contact, indecent exposure of a child’s body or of another person’s body to a child, sharing explicit content online, forcing a young person to engage in sexual conversation online.

Neglect

• This encompasses the harm of a young person through consistent failure to meet their basic needs.

• Abuse of this type could include not providing adequate food, clothing, and shelter; not providing adequate supervision; not providing adequate emotional support; not meeting needs of a medical nature.

Other variants include:

Bullying and Cyberbullying

Child Sexual Exploitation

Child Trafficking

Criminal Exploitation and Gangs

Domestic Abuse

Female Genital Mutilation

Grooming

Non-recent Abuse

Online Abuse

These are some of the ways in which the effects of abuse may present in a child in their day-to-day lives. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and signs may overlap between categories of abuse.

Some of these signs may seem small or insignificant in isolation, but may be an important piece of a larger puzzle. This is why we must be vigilant regarding indicators and pass any concerns on. 

Physical

• Unexplained bruises, marks, or other signs of injury

• Injury to parts of the body not usually exposed to physical contact

• Reluctance to expose normal parts of the body (i.e., fear of rolling up long sleeves or removing a jacket)

• Reluctance to change for PE or participate in swimming

• Untreated injuries or medical issues

Emotional

• Changes in behaviour

• Changes in mood

• Changes in engagement or performance, e.g. at school

• Mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety

• Extreme fears or obsessions

• Forming inappropriate relationships either with other young people or with adults

Sexual

• Inappropriate knowledge of sexual content for their age

• Sexualised language or behaviour

• Inappropriate sleeping arrangements

• Physical pain in private parts of the body

Neglect

• Poor hygiene

• Ill-fitting or damaged clothing

• Hunger

• Persistent absence

• Untreated injuries or medical issues

Additional circumstances which may be an indicator of risk:

• Domestic abuse in the home

• Problematic parental alcohol and drug use

• Parental mental health issues

• Children who are carers

• Children with disabilities

These circumstances may not always be safeguarding concerns in isolation, but may contribute to a young person being more at-risk of exposure to abuse.