Signs of Abuse

As an Outdoor Service Guides member and leader, it is up to you to know how to identify potential signs of abuse. Every child will react to abuse differently, so being able to read different variations of behaviors is essential in making an assessment. Let’s look at some examples:

• Sudden change in characteristic personality, social interactions, or activities, including decreased meeting attendance or an unexpected drop out.
• Sudden change in school performance, enthusiasm, or friendships, including increased inability to concentrate.
• Sudden changes in eating habits.
• Depressed appearance, lack of friends, or lack of trust.
• Evidence of unexpected or recurring injuries, such as excessive bruising, black eye(s), burns and scalds, marks on the skin, bite marks, fractures, or abrasions.
• Inconsistent explanations of how injuries occurred.
• Refusal to be around certain individuals, or a reluctance to go home or to interact with a particular individual or group.
• Unusual and persistent desire to please.
• Persistent impending watchfulness.
• Acting out in an overly aggressive manner, or in sexually explicit ways.
• Using foul language, or communicating sexual innuendos.
• Unusual reluctance to join in normal activities involving a change of clothing.
• Excessive attachment to certain adults.
• Physical discomfort with sitting, walking or doing other physical activities that is uncharacteristic for the child; also, complaining about discomfort in the genital area, such as pain or itching.