by Theodora Papadopoulou , PhD
Unfortunately, each year, thousands of children experience physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse by parents or caregivers who are supposed to give unconditional love and attention. The scars can be deep and long-lasting, affecting not just abused children but society as well. Most of the times, the teachers are the ones who detect signs of child abuse and have the difficult but very important role to support the abused child and help him/her stand on his/her own two feet.
The aim of this article is to help teachers detect signs of child abuse and thus be able to deal with it.
To start with, some of the most common signs of abuse are the following:
The Child:
1. Shows sudden changes in behaviour or school performance
2. Has learning problems that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes
3. Is always watchful and alert as if he is expecting something bad to happen
4. Lacks adult supervision
5. May come to school early, stay late, and does not want to go home.
The Parent:
1. Shows little concern for the child’s progress. He/She rarely responds to the teachers’ requests regarding conferences, or parent’s days.
2. Denies the existence of the child's problems.
3. Asks the classroom teacher to use harsh physical discipline if the
child misbehaves.
4. Expresses the idea that the child is entirely worthless and
unreliable.
5. Demands perfection or a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve.
The Parent and Child:
1. Rarely touch or look at each other.
2. Consider their relationship entirely negative.
3. State that they do not like each other.
A teacher should consider the possibility of physical abuse when the child
- Has unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes.
- Has fading bruises or other marks noticeable after an absence
from school.
- Seems frightened of the parents and protests or cries when it is
time to go home from school.
- Denies to speak or interact with older children, especially
adults.
- Indicates antisocial behaviour.
Apart from physical abuse, a child may be experiencing neglect.
Some of the most common signs of neglect are the following:
The Child:
1. Is frequently absent from school
2. Begs or steals money from classmates
3. Lacks needed medical or dental care
4. Is consistently dirty.
5. Lacks sufficient clothing.
6. States there is no one at home to provide care
Another equally destructive form of abuse is sexual abuse.
Some of the most common signs of sexual abuse are the following:
The Child:
1. Has difficulty walking or sitting.
2. Suddenly refuses to participate in physical activities.
3. Demonstrates bizarre or unusual sexual knowledge or behaviour.
4. Has bruises
5. Complains about sleeping disorders
6. Is always scared and does not want to be hugged or touched by teachers or classmates.
7. Is shameful
8. Blames him/herself for everything bad that takes place at school
Some of the most common signs of emotional abuse are the following:
The Child:
1. Indicates eating disorders
2. Experiences speech disorders
3. Is aggressive and lacks patience
4. Is not cooperative and does not have friends
Most physically abusive parents insist that their actions are simply forms of discipline, ways to make children learn to behave. They are unable to realise the tremendous impact of their actions on their own children and therefore find excuses for their actions. They have such an excessive need for control that makes them unable or unwilling to see their level of aggression as inappropriate.
On the other hand, children who are abused develop a low self-esteem and are unable to form friendships. They experience panic attacks and have sleeping disorders. They are doomed to live in isolation since they cannot trust anybody. School is a safe place for them since they are away from all people who hurt them physically and emotionally, but they lack intrinsic motivation for school success because they are overwhelmed with all the negative feelings they are forced to encounter.
Teachers who detect signs of abuse should try to gain the child’s trust and make him/her feel safe enough to share the problem with the teacher. The director of the school and the teacher should talk to the parents of the abused child about the academic and behavioural problems that the child encounters at school in order to see their point of view. Reporting the incident to the police or organisations which deal with child abuse is sometimes the only solution to the problem.
I have mentioned in my other articles that being a teacher is certainly more than tutoring, correcting homework and preparing children for exams. The teacher-student relationship is such a strong relationship that prevents every teacher from not taking action in times when the student desperately needs our help. We might be the only ones who can help them. So, let’s not turn our backs to abused children hoping that things will get better. Without our intervention, the problem will certainly become bigger and more destructive. After all, teachers are every child’s spiritual parents. In these cases we are the only «real» parents they need.