Title: What You Should Know About Child Abuse
Series: Help Series Brochure  
Author: Office for Victims of Crime
Published: February 2002
Subject: victims, victim assistance, child abuse
5 pages
7,597 bytes

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OVC Help Series

What You Should Know About Child Abuse

(For Teenagers Ages 12-16)

Office for Victims of Crime
OVC
Advocating for the Fair Treatment of Crime Victims

The National Center for Victims of Crime

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Child abuse isn't something that only happens to little kids. Some kids
who are abused by their parents have been abused for as long as they can
remember. For others, the abuse started when they got older. Almost half
of the reported cases of child abuse and neglect involve teenagers.

What is child abuse?

Child abuse occurs when a parent, family member, or caretaker physically
hurts a child or adolescent, makes that youth feel worthless, has sexual
contact with him or her, or does not provide adequate food, care, or
shelter. Child abuse can happen in all types of families, and in most cases,
the abuser is related to the victim. Every state has laws against child abuse.

Most people agree that acts that threaten a young person's life or cause
serious injury are physical abuse. Some people disagree over the
difference between a spanking, which some see as an acceptable form of
discipline, and a beating. When punishment is very severe or leaves
bruises or other injuries, then it's no longer discipline--it's child abuse, and
it should stop.

All forms of child abuse, including emotional abuse, cause the victim pain
and suffering.

Sexual abuse occurs when an adult forces, threatens, or induces a young
person into any kind of sexual contact. It includes direct physical contact
and nontouching sexual "contact," such as when a young person is
persuaded to view obscene materials. Teenagers can be sexually abused by
someone they know or by a stranger. They also can be abusers.

Always trust your feelings. If you become uncomfortable in a situation,
assertively ask the person to stop or leave. Don't worry about hurting
someone's feelings.

Incest is a form of sexual abuse that is defined as any sexual contact or
behavior between family members. The most common form of incest
occurs between an older family member--a parent, stepparent, uncle, or
cousin--and a child or teenager. Incest can happen to girls and boys. The
best way to stop incest is to tell someone.

Emotional abuse can include swearing at, yelling at, or insulting a young
person, usually over and over again. It also can include denying a young
person basic emotional needs, such as affection or security. Emotional
abuse often accompanies physical and sexual abuse. Experts consider
emotional abuse to be very serious, especially because victims feel bad
about themselves.

Criminal neglect is when a parent does not provide care for a young
person's safety and health--necessities like food, proper clothing, a place to
live, or medical care. Leaving kids alone for long periods or kicking them
out of the house also can be interpreted as neglect.

Young people often blame themselves for the family crisis brought on by
abuse, but it is not their fault.

From time to time, all parents and children have problems, but most
parents or adults do not abuse their children. Most parents who abuse their
children love their children but never learned how to channel their anger,
frustration, or sexual expressions in mature and responsible ways.

Abuse and neglect affect the way young people view themselves and the
rest of the world. Many people who were abused as children find it hard as
adults to like themselves or to trust other people. As children, they learned
to expect very little from adults except pain. They may find it hard to
believe that people can really care about them.

Because of the long-term pain it produces, child abuse can have a serious
impact on communities. To deal with child abuse, we must recognize it
and report it.

Reporting child abuse can be difficult, but it is the first step toward
stopping it. Many teenagers who are abused feel the only thing they can do
is run away from home, which can cause more harm than good.

Abuse can and should be reported to teachers, guidance counselors, or law
enforcement officers. Reports also can be made to child protective
services, a unit of government that usually can be found in a local social
services agency.

If you feel things are not so great in your family, you might ask yourself,
"Am I abused?" There's no easy answer for this. But if things in your life
hurt or confuse you, it's a good idea to check it out with an adult you trust.

It is important to tell someone who can help you decide if there is abuse in
your family. If you tell someone who does not believe or help you, tell
someone else. It takes courage to ask for help, but if you are abused and
you tell someone, things can change. In most cases, families in which
abuse occurs get the help they need and the abuse can stop. You may
never have a perfect family, but you can begin a life in which you are not
hurt and abused. Your community has people who can help you.

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What are the facts about child abuse?

o Children in the United States are more likely to be victimized violently
in their own homes than on the streets. (Current Trends in Child Abuse
Prevention, Reporting, and Fatalities: The 1997 Fifty State Survey.
Chicago, IL: Prevent Child Abuse America, 1999)

o In 1997, 47 out of 1,000 children were reported abused or neglected and
15 children out of 1,000 were confirmed as abused or neglected. (Current
Trends in Child Abuse Prevention, Reporting, and Fatalities: The 1997
Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL: Prevent Child Abuse America, 1999)

o A survey of adolescent boys' health revealed that one in eight high
school boys had been physically and/or sexually abused. Sixty-six percent
of boys who reported physical abuse said it occurred at home. Of sexually
abused boys, 35 percent said the abuse happened at home. Forty-eight
percent of physically or sexually abused boys said they had not talked to
anyone about their abuse, and only 7 percent had discussed their abuse
with a doctor. (The Health of Adolescent Boys: Commonwealth Fund
Survey Findings. New York, NY: The Commonwealth Fund, 1998)

o One in five high school girls surveyed reported that she had been
physically or sexually abused. Fifty-three percent of the abuse occurred at
home, and 65 percent of the girls said it happened more than once.
Twenty-nine percent of girls who had been physically or sexually abused
had not told anyone about the abuse. Forty-six percent of abused girls had
symptoms of depression, which is more than twice the rate of girls who
said they had not been abused (18 percent). Abused girls are also at double
the risk for signs of eating disorders. (The Commonwealth Fund Survey of
the Health of Adolescent Girls. New York, NY: The Commonwealth
Fund, 1997)

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Resources for Information and Assistance

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-422-4453
www.childhelpusa.org

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678
www.missingkids.org

National Center for Victims of Crime
1-800-FYI-CALL or 1-800-394-2255
www.ncvc.org

National Children's Alliance Regional Children's Advocacy Centers
1-800-239-9950
www.nca-online.org

National Organization for Victim Assistance
1-800-TRY-NOVA or 1-800-879-6682
www.try-nova.org

National Runaway Switchboard
1-800-621-4000

Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center
1-800-627-6872
TTY 1-877-712-9279
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ovcres/welcome.html


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This brochure was developed by the National Center for Victims of Crime
under a project supported by Grant No. 97-VF-GX-K007 awarded by the
Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department
of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do
not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S.
Department of Justice.