Case Study #1: The Effects of Peer Abuse

The Effects of Peer Abuse

Every child who experiences peer abuse will have a different response. Signs may be physical, or they may appear as emotional or behavioral changes. The following case study describes one child’s experience.

Case Study: A Child’s Change in Behavior:

The course shares a WXIA-TV report about a mother who said her six-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted by another student at school. The mother described a sudden change: her daughter became afraid of the dark and closed rooms and stopped wanting to wear dresses. She said her daughter later disclosed what had happened.

Reflection: What changes did the mother notice? How might an adult respond if they noticed similar changes in a child?

WXIA-TV 11 Alive Atlanta, as presented in The Redwoods Group course.

Key Takeaways: Case Study #1 

• Peer abuse can happen between children of the same or different ages and genders.

• A child’s behavior may change suddenly after abuse. In this case, the mother noticed fear of the dark and a change in what her daughter wanted to wear.

• Notice and take changes seriously without assuming they prove what happened.