CHILD ABUSE (intentional injury of a child which includes: physical, emotional,

sexual, neglect)

1. 1. Physical abuse – (physical injury caused by punching, beating, kicking, biting,

burning or otherwise harming a child,physical abuse is the most visible form
of child maltreatment. Many times, physical abuse results from inappropriate or
excessive physicaldiscipline.)

2. Sexual abuse – Involves sexual acts performed by an adult on a child younger

than 18 years old. Examples include incest, and acts of molestation such as
rubbing, fondling or exposing the adult’s genitals, rape and exploitation
3. Emotional Abuse – is just as harmful as physical abuse. It may involve
conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved. It includes verbal
assaults such as blaming, screaming, name calling and using sarcasm..
Constant family discord by fighting, yelling and chaos. Emotional abuse often
accompanies other types of abuse (physical or sexual abuse)
4. Neglect – absent or lack of provision of things necessary for the childs growth
and development
a)physical neglect- failure to provide medical, dental or psychiatric care
b)education neglect- failure to provide education
5. Munchausen Sydrome: factitious disorder by proxy
an adult caregiver (typically the mother), makes a child appear mentally or
physically ill or impaired by either fabricating symptoms or actually causing
harm to the child, in order to gain the attention of medical providers and
others. In order to perpetuate the medical relationship, the caregiver
systematically misrepresents symptoms, fabricates signs, manipulates
laboratory tests, or even purposely harms the child (e.g. by poisoning,
suffocation, infection, physical injury).
5. Secondary abuse:
children of abused women

Characteristics of abusive parents

Came from a violent family
Have inadequate parenting skills
Socially isolated
Emotionally immature
Victim of child abuse

SPOUSE ABUSE – is maltreatment in the context of an intimate relationship

-husband and wife - live in partner
-boyfriend and girlfriend - same sex relationship

CYCLE of SPOUSE ABUSE

 1. Tension building phase – ( onset and beginning of minor arguments,
stony silence and repetitive complains of the husband / minor form of
battering)
2. Acute battering incident – intense violence of physical injury, verbal
demoralization and threatening of the partner/ involves more serious
form of battering
3. Honeymoon stage- husband expressing remorse and promises that
the battering incident will no longer happen, becomes loving

Warning signs of relationship violence:

V iew you as unequal

I nvade your personal space
O ver jealousy
L ack of empathy
E motionally abuses you (insults, belittling, name-calling)
N egatively talks about women in general
C annot express emotional and sexual frustrations (without becoming
angry)
E xtreme use of drugs or alcohol

Characteristics of abusive husbands:

-low self-esteem (they think theyre not good enough)
-has strong feeling of inadequacy
-very controlling
-possessive (think that his wife is his possession)
-abused drugs and alcohol
-narcissistic
-irrational jealousy
-usually come from violent families

1. Encourage expressions of feelings (related to the abuse)

2. Allow client to discuss feelings and concerns
3. Maintain confidentiality of information
4. Offer self in seeking medical care (for physical problem related to the abuse)
5. Identify supportive people to assist (in dealing with the crisis)
6. Involved client in mobilizing support systems
7. Support decision making and active support systems
8. Provide written information about community services (and encourage to
avail their services)
9. Plan for follow-up care