Principle 7: Staff and Volunteers are Provided Skills and Awareness through Training
This chapter focuses on the importance of education and training for staff and volunteers and how your organisation can ensure that staff and volunteers can identify indicators of child harm and respond effectively.
In this Chapter, you will learn:
What is harm and abuse and the key harm and abuse categories
Indicators and signs of harm and abuse
Some common myths about harm and abuse
Your organisation is responsible for;
Effective safety practices supporting the rights of vulnerable people.
Record keeping
You, as a child facing team member are responsible for;
Attending relevant training to recognise and respond to harm and abuse and to meet legal requirements.
Keeping yourself informed of current issues
Being able to identify indicators of child harm
Responding effectively
Responding in culturally appropriate ways
Supporting colleagues
Content Warning
This Chapter frankly discusses issues of abuse and how to respond. Exploring and understanding these topics may be confronting, and for some trauma inducing.
For further support, contact:
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
What is harm and abuse?
Harm and abuse is an act that endangers physical or emotional health or development - things people do or things they fail to do.
Harm and abuse occur when those in positions of trust and power misuse their power to harm children and other vulnerable people.
May be a single incident or many incidents over a period of time.
It happens in homes, churches, sports clubs, and schools. It could happen anywhere.
Perpetrators could be community leaders, family, friends, teachers, neighbours, coaches, people you know and love.
We all have a part to play in providing safe places for children to flourish.
Many children are still at risk of maltreatment in familial, institutional and community settings. All children and young people can be susceptible to harm, regardless of their age, cultural context, class, education, income, ethnic origin and disability.
Trauma and abuse have long-term effects on individuals, extending to parents, siblings, partners, carers, children and the community. Effects may be seen in mental health, difficulties with interpersonal relationships and impacts on education, employment and economic security. Impacts are felt on physical health, social well-being, culture, spirituality and sexual behaviour.
It's important that those who work with children and vulnerable people have an awareness of child abuse and the indicators that a child or young person may be at risk of harm so that we can help to protect them and prevent them from experiencing further harm.
Understanding Harm and Abuse
In this chapter we will identify the physical and behavioural indicators of 6 types of harm and abuse:
Raising your awareness of these types of harm and abuse will help you to:
·Identify harm and abuse and its nature
Recognise its indicators
Have confidence to report the abuse
Recognise that a single indicator, does not necessarily mean that abuse has occurred
Emotional (psychological) and spiritual abuse
Physical indicators
Speech disorders
Delays in physical development
Failure to thrive
Behavioural indicators
Low self-esteem
Unexplained mood swings
Age-inappropriate behaviours (eg, overly adult or overly infantile
Withdrawn
Spiritual abuse
Physical indicators
Highly anxious
Difficulty relating to adults and peers
Running away
Stealing and lying
Behavioural indicators
Conformist or dogmatic
No opinions or ideas of their own
Overly submissive to authority
Neglect
Don’t get the basic necessities for life, food, clothing and shelter
Physical indicators
Frequent hunger
Malnutrition
Poor hygiene
Inappropriate clothing
Children unsupervised for long periods
Medical needs not attended to
Appearing ill-cared for or unhappy
Behavioural indicators
Stealing food
Staying at school outside school hours
Abusing alcohol or drugs
Aggressive behaviour
Not relating well to peers
Indiscriminate with affection
Withdrawn or aggressive
Physical abuse
Physical indicators
Bruises
Burns
Sprains
Bits
Cut and welts
Fractured bones
Internal or shaking injuries
Unexplained or hidden injuries
Lack of medical attention
Behavioural indicators
No emotion when hurt
Unlikely explanation for injuries
Long sleeved clothes
Fear of parents of carers
Fear of going home
Fearful
Excessively friendly
Nervous, Hyperactive
Disruptive towards others
Sexual abuse
Physical indicators
Injury to genital or rectal area
Vaginal or anal bleeding or discharge
Discomfort urinating/defecating
Sexually transmitted disease
Frequent UTI’s
Bruising/injuries to breast, buttocks and thighs
·Anxiety related illness e.g. anorexia & bulimia
Behavioural indicators
Age-inappropriate sexual activity
Regressive behaviour
Aggressive behaviour
Self-injurious behaviour eg. Drug/alcohol abuse, prostitution, self mutilation
Frequent rocking, sucking and biting
Signs of depression
Headaches or stomach pains
Sexually explicit /age inappropriate drawings and stories
Difficulty relating to adults/peers
Secretive relationships with adults or children
Family violence
Physical indicators
Cutting or self-injury
Anxiety-related conditions e.g. anorexia & bulimia
Lack of care for appearance/health
Behavioural indicators
Separation/Stranger anxiety
Regressive behaviours
Insomnia
School truancy
Self Blame
Substance Abuse
Bullying and Harassment
What is bullying?
Bullying and harassment are particular forms of abuse.
When children and vulnerable people gather together, it is possible that some will bully or harass others.
Bullying and harassment are patterns of behaviour that, if allowed to go uncorrected, can have serious consequences for the victim, as well as the bully or harasser.
Physical indicators include:
Bruises, scratches or cuts that the person is not able to explain
Torn or missing clothing or other belongings, and
Appearance of unhappiness, distress, or withdrawal
Behavioural indicators include:
Reluctance to speak in front of others or eliciting snide remarks when they do
Anxiety about going to the place where the bullying occurs
Signs of anxiety, such as nightmares or headaches
Unexplained anger at family or close friends
Depression, sadness, threats of or attempts at suicide
Extra money wanted without a good reason
Last person to be chosen by peers
Tendency to be drawn into conflict but then floundering
Propensity for being at the centre of fights and being blamed for starting them, even though they may be physically small
Myths and facts
Sometimes we are unaware of the facts surrounding child harm and abuse because of ignorance or sustained myths.
It is useful to remind ourselves of these so we don’t form unconscious biases when dealing with such difficult subjects.
Common myths about child harm and abuse.
If a child claims to have been abused they are usually lying. 98% are found to be true
Most children are abused by strangers or people they don’t know very well. – mostly known
A child will always tell someone if they are being abused – 1 in 3 adults would not believe children
It is only considered abuse when physical violence is involved - Physical force is usually unnecessary in sexual abuse becuase of the power and authority of the abuser.
Sexual abuse of children and vulnerable people is confined to poor and dysfunctional families - sexual abuse occures in all racial, cultural and socio-economic groups
Sex offenders re always older men – 71% under 35 yrs and knew the victim at lease casually
Most sexual abuse if a one off isolated event – most continues for years.
We now ask you to consider the following statements.
Abuse of children means they are abused by adults not other children – MYTH
False: Between an estimated 35-45% of abuse offences are now by other children, mostly boys. It is correct however, that some child-abuse legislation is only framed around adults.
Child sexual offenders are often men – FACT
True: They are most likely to be men, but
False: The average age is 30 years.
Abuse of children with a disability is close to the average for all children – MYTH
False: While definitive statistics have not been commonly recorded, studies consistently show abuse of disabled children is some 2.5 to 3 times more likely for disabled children.
If a child claims to have been abused, it is usually true – FACT
True: Children rarely lie when disclosing sexual assault. In 98% of reports by children, their statements are found to be true.
Most children are usually abused by people they don’t know well – MYTH
False: According to an Australian study of children under 15 years, 11.1 % were victimised by a stranger.
More commonly, child sexual abuse was perpetrated by a male relative, excluding father or stepfather (30.2%), a family friend (16.3%), an acquaintance, neighbour or other known person (30.9%), or the father or stepfather (13.5%).
Child-to-child harm and children with harmful sexual behaviours
Children develop sexually and display sexual behaviours throughout childhood as a normal part of growing up.
It’s important to know how to distinguish between healthy and harmful sexual behaviours, and when to intervene.
Sexual behaviours expressed by children and young people under the age of 18 years old that are developmentally inappropriate, may be harmful towards self or others, or be abusive to another child, young person or adult.
We can determine whether a child’s sexual behaviours are harmful by considering how much they differ from healthy developmental expectations, as well as by examining the context of the behaviours, their severity, and the impact on others.
Typical Sexual Behaviour
Typical sexual behaviour in children is curious, light-hearted and spontaneous.
It may involve:
Exploring bodies, gender roles and behaviours.
Engaging with children of similar ages, developmental stage, and physical size, such as siblings and friends. They are voluntary.
Following developmental and age appropriate guidelines.
Observe rules regarding personal space and boundaries.
Involve behaviours limited in type, frequency, intensity and are not intrusive.
Being generally curious in nature, including of the body and sex.
Expressing sexuality in a child-like way.
Responding to gentle redirection and typical parenting or behaviour strategies.
Experiencing feelings of embarrassment or guilt.
Harmful Sexual Behaviours
Harmful sexual behaviours (problematic or abusive) are intrusive, aggressive, and excessive.
It may involve:
Engaging other children dissimilar in age, developmental stage or physical size, such as siblings and children who are not friends and might involve adults and animals.
Displaying inappropriate behaviours for their developmental stage and/or age.
Using coercion, force, bribery, manipulation, threats. It can be involuntary eliciting complaints or affects other children.
Disregarding rules on personal space or boundaries.
Displaying behaviours not limited to type or frequency. They are intensity driven and intrusive.
Focusing on sexualising nonsexual things. Children may also sexualise and romanticise relationships.
Expressing sexuality in adult ways, with detailed and specific sexual knowledge.
Using sexual behaviour to combat feelings of loneliness or stress, to hurt others or when angry or aggressive.
Being unresponsive to gentle redirection or typical parenting strategies.
Experiencing limited feelings of embarrassment or guilt.
Definitions
Children and young people have the right to be safe and protected from harm at all times and as part of your organisation. Activities should be adequately supervised, and children should display appropriate behaviours.
If young children display developmentally appropriate typical sexual behaviour, it is suitable to calmly ask the child to stop and then re-direct their behaviour. If a child shows concerning or harmful behaviour or does not respond to re-direction, you can discuss your concerns with your oversight so that the child, family, and anyone else affected can be supported.
Children with harmful sexual behaviours
The term ‘children with harmful sexual behaviours’
refers to children and young people under 18 years who have behaviours that fall across a spectrum of problem sexual behaviours, including those that are problematic to the child’s own development, as well as those that are coercive, sexually aggressive and predatory towards others. The term ‘harmful sexual behaviours’ recognises the seriousness of these behaviours and the significant impact they have on victims.
Problematic sexual behaviour
‘Problematic sexual behaviour’ is sexual behaviour that fall outside the normal or age-appropriate range for younger children. These may or may not result in harm to another person. Problematic sexual behaviours by young children may be an indicator of them having been harmed themselves and may place the child displaying such behaviours at risk of sexual exploitation.
Sexual offending
‘Sexual offending’ is sexual behaviour that falls within the definition of a sexual offence, where the child could be held criminally responsible for their conduct. In Australia, children aged 10 and over can potentially be charged with a sexual offence.
What is Grooming?
Grooming is a manipulative process used by abusers to gain the family’s and victim’s trust and get access to the child.
Grooming Behaviours usually involve:
A process of building trust
Targeting the individual, the caregiver and organisation
Looking like normal caring behaviour
Personal contact and/or online gaining trust with the victim (and family)
Filling a child’s unmet needs
Giving the child special attention
Isolating the victim
Sexualising the relationship
Maintaining control
More facts about grooming:
Sexual abuse of children and vulnerable people is usually carefully planned
The grooming process creates conditions in which the abuse can occur without detection
The grooming process can take a matter of minutes or last for several years. One to two years is common, giving the perpetrator time to become involved in the organisation and be accepted.
There is always a context of secrecy and power imbalance.
Is this Grooming?
Brett is a member of a youth group. Jeff, one of the adult organisers, shares some similar interests with him.
Brett and Jeff have built a friendship. On occasion they’ve been on the same team. – NO
Jeff soon initiates touching, tickling and driving Brett home after events - YES