If you are going to report child abuse

Child Abuse

I was watching the television the other day, and I ended up crying for about a half an hour. I was watching a show about child abuse and child predators, and my heart was broken. I could not believe that there were people like that out there in the world, and I couldn’t imagine why they would want to hurt children like they do. The sexual predators got to me the most, but the overwhelming number of people who commit child abuse was hard to swallow. You almost expect there are a few out there, but you just cringe over the huge number of those who purposely hurt children. There are so many that you can bet many live nearby.

Sadly, abuse is something that happens in a lot more homes than you might think. Though a child might seem normal on the outside, there might be clues that lead you to believe that there is child abuse going on. However, you should be careful about turning people in on a hunch only. Some children naturally are shy or withdrawn and it might not mean that there is child abuse going on. On the other hand, if you witness what you would consider to be abuse you should not hesitate to turn someone in. The child is counting on your to say what they cannot.

The problem with proving child abuse is a tough one though. Someone accused a babysitter of mind of child abuse. In the end, they could not charge her with anything because there were no bruises. I was abused myself when I was a child so it was a double nightmare to me. I know better than anyone that not all child abuse leaves bruises you can see. Emotional child abuse can be just as damaging as physical, but it’s almost impossible to prove.

Another problem is spouses that are separating often accuse each other of child abuse in an effort to swing the custody hearings in their favor. I don’t care how much you hate each other; this should never, ever be done. False charges of child abuse can be just as damage to a child as real abuse. In a way it is also abuse. This should never happen to anyone, and it can mess up lives rather quickly. If you are going to report abuse, only do so if the abuse is real, but don’t wait until it is too late.

If you are going to report child abuse