3.What are harm, abuse
and neglect?
Harm, abuse and neglect can be intended and deliberate, or unintended and not deliberate. The impact of harm, abuse or neglect, or risk of these for a child needs careful assessment. It might mean that parents and carers need support to keep their child safe.
It is possible that a child could be harmed, abused or neglected in lots of different situations. They could be harmed, abused or neglected by the adults who are their parents or carers, by their sisters or brothers, or by other relatives or people in the household. Or they could be harmed, abused or neglected by people they don’t live with: either by people they know or by people the child and their family don’t know. Harm and abuse can happen in person or online.
Here are what the words harm, abuse and neglect mean in child protection.
Harm
Harm means when a child is treated badly or cruelly. This can damage a child’s physical and mental health and the way they are developing.
Abuse
Abuse can take many forms and can cause harm to a child’s physical health and mental health.
It is important that all parents and carers know something about the different types of abuse so that they can protect their child and speak to someone if they have worries. How something makes you feel is important. If something does not feel right, speak to someone you trust or reach out to professionals whose job it is to also protect children like a teacher, police officer or social worker. Every person in Scotland has access to a social work department in the local authority area they live in, with staff who are trained to support children and families. If you are worried about a child, access the information on the CELCIS website.
Neglect
Neglect can take many forms and can cause harm to a child’s physical health and mental health.
Types of abuse and harm
Some of these are difficult to read about and may be upsetting.
If you need to talk to somebody, especially if you are worried or need support, there are services who can help you. Call Parentline on 08000 28 22 33 or visit Children 1st website for advice and support.
1. Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is causing physical harm to a child. This can be caused by punching, kicking, slapping, hitting with implements, burning, shaking, or throwing. This can result in wounds, bruises, broken bones and internal injuries leaving children injured, traumatised and, in some cases, leading to the loss of life. They can be left feeling hurt, frightened and upset.
2. Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is harm caused to a child’s emotional feelings and mental wellbeing which does or could cause long term damage. A child can feel worthless, unloved, scared, ignored, put down, bullied, threatened or pressured. Emotional abuse can include making a child take on too much responsibility, being misused by the adults who should be caring for them or being alienated from a parent.
3. Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse where adults in the household are at risk affects children living in that environment. It is traumatic for children who witness a parent or carer who is experiencing physical violence, emotional or sexual violence. This can cause physical and emotional harm to children, including an unborn child.
4. Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse of a child means making or manipulating, forcing or coercing a child to take part in any sexual activity. This could be through physical, sexual contact but also through non-contact activity, for example, involving children in looking at or taking indecent images of them, watching sexual activities of others or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
5. Criminal Exploitation
Criminal exploitation of a child is when a child is manipulated and abused by an individual or a group who uses a child (under 18) for criminal activity and may use threats, bullying, violence as well as giving them something, for example, gifts, money, alcohol or drugs, a place to stay, or a sense of belonging, to get the child to become part of a crime or criminal activities. This is abusive and against the law as the child cannot consent to abuse even if they don’t feel the situation is harmful to them.
6. Child Trafficking
Child trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt, exchange or transfer of control of a child under the age of 18 years for the purposes of exploitation. Transfer or movement can be within an area and does not have to be across borders. Examples of trafficking can include sexual, criminal and financial exploitation, forced labour, illegal adoption, and forced or illegal marriage.
7. Neglect
Neglect is a persistent form of harm or abuse. Neglect is where the person or people responsible for looking after a child frequently does not meet the basic needs of a child. This harms the long term physical and mental health of a child. Neglect includes children regularly feeling hungry, cold, unwashed, are left unsupervised and feel unloved. Serious neglect is a risk to life.
8. Female Genital Mutilation
Female Genital Mutilation, also called FGM for short, is where a female child’s genitalia is cut. The term ‘cutting’ is also sometimes used. Sometimes girls are taken out of Scotland for this procedure to be carried out elsewhere. This causes long term physical and emotional harm and damage. As a form of violence against women and girls this practice is illegal in the UK.
9 .Forced Marriage
Forced marriage is where a child is or feels they are or were being forced to marry someone without wanting to and feeling pressure to do this. The child may be taken out of Scotland to undergo a marriage ceremony against their will. This can cause emotional harm and put the child at risk of physical or emotional abuse. It can cause the child to become isolated and it can impact on their relationships with their family and their wider community. Forced marriage should not be confused with arranged marriage which is where individuals give their consent.
More information about types of harm is available on the CELCIS website.
If the harm becomes a serious concern or the risk of this increases this is sometimes called significant harm. Serious concerns are usually concerns about abuse and neglect and may mean a child protection approach is needed.
Concerns about a child being harmed or abused or risk of them being harmed or abused must be investigated.
If a child has been harmed or abused or is at risk of being harmed or abused a plan to protect the child must be put in place. This plan is called a Child Protection Plan and is decided and agreed at a meeting called a Child Protection Planning Meeting.
Keeping Children Safe in Scotland
Guides for younger children, young people and parents and carers
