Signs of abuse that you should look out for in your child’s behaviour

A young mind is impressionable and each incident can engrave a psychological pattern in them. They learn from experiences, just like we all do. But what they cannot do at this age frame is to understand what is right and what is wrong. And if their understanding of the world goes undetected, their behaviour pattern can spiral in downwards into the hellish manoeuvre. Children are not born antisocial unless there is a genetic flaw that makes them unable to feel empathy. But children can grow to become defensive, aggressive and abusive with each untoward incident. Instances of abuse can greatly change the way a child behaves and interacts with the world. And since most of the cases of abuse come from someone they know, they hesitate to trust people who truly care for them.  

 We can bring about a change in this toxic pattern with the help of therapists. They will unravel each and every piece and try to fix it with your child. They have a high responsibility of sewing up torn down confidence, self-esteem, and relations. IMBT has the best child therapist in London who can offer their expert services.  

 

 

But before you schedule an appointment, look for the signs of abuse. These would look like this: 

1.Changes in behaviour towards a certain person

 Changes in behaviour are often subtle if not overtly obvious. It could be that your child is behaving fine in front of you and your family but gets extremely nervous and afraid near someone they know. They might even be reluctant to visit that person and might show their reluctance aggressively. Then you can understand that there is something wrong that has happened between your child and the said person.

2.Spells of depression and anxiousness

When these are sudden and coming out of the blue, you will have to stop them and ask them what is wrong. They could show disinterest, withdrawal, aggression and unresponsive behaviour while communicating. This could mean that there is something hurting them from the inside. They would need your support. If they are reluctant to talk to you or if they are scared to share it with you, you can contact a child therapist. IMBT has the best child therapist in London who would be able to find the root of the matter.

3.Sudden interest in explicit material

When a child is really young, they would not know what sexual matters are and they might not be in the age to be aroused by that. If they show a sudden interest in such things or use such language in their talk, then you would need to investigate deep into the matter. They just do not pick it up from anywhere. Someone close to them might be speaking to them in such a manner or exposing them to such material. 

4.Changes in their sleep pattern

Maybe they are staying awake because of reoccurring nightmares or they couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. Or they could be just sleeping off all day unusually. These are the signs of mental distress. You would need to seek a therapist’s help to resolve this problem. This can be a sign of abuse that you need to look into and talk to with your child. 

5.Drug abuse and self-harm

When your child is exposed to drugs at a young age and also engages in self-harm, there is certainly a problem. They might be trying to resolve their distress with drugs and self-harm. They would need proper guidance on this topic and would need your help to get out of the habit. This is a self-destructive habit, which can spring up suicidal tendencies in them.

6.Signs of physical abuse

There will be injuries, bruises, fractures, burns etc. on them, which they would possibly not show you. They might not give you any explanation or proper explanation of how it happened. They’ll also have trouble in doing daily activities and might cry out in pain. If they are trying to hide it from you, you would notice a change in their gait, sitting style, etc., which translates to difficulty in doing normal activities.

7.Signs of sexual abuse

They might be complaining of pain in their genital area. You may find stains of blood in their underwear. They may also be in a foul mood and tell you that they were touched inappropriately. They might also tell you that they are having pain in their private parts. In undetected cases, they might re-enact the scene with other children and you’d get a complaint.

8.Signs of child neglect

If you observe that a child in having poor hygiene, isn’t dressed in weather appropriate clothing and clothing which has wear and tear, have poor attendance and doesn’t have a healthy weight, they might be going through abuse. Adults are supposed to nourish their children. If you find it lacking in your children or others children, you can ascertain that they are not being cared of properly. These children have a harder time in dealing with emotional, sexual, physical and mental abuse, as they have no one to turn to. 

These are the signs of abuse in children that one should read into. You need to form a trusting relationship with your children so that you can act on the very first sign of abuse. They need to trust you that you will always be there for their lookout. When forming that relationship becomes difficult then seek help from the best child therapist in London at IMBT.