Have you ever wondered as parent if there has been a sudden change in the behavior of your child? Any change in their preferences, hobbies or conduct? Child abuse of any kind is extremely detrimental to a child’s psychology and brain development. A cognizant parent can tremendously help a child by recognizing the symptoms of child abuse at an early stage and prevent any further damage. The scars of child abuse, if not catered to quickly, can haunt the victim not only in their childhood but also transcend into their teen and adult life. The article and video below discusses in detail the external affects observed on a victim of child abuse when they are still in childhood:
1. Inappropriate sexual knowledge or sexual behavior – This should be a super- bright, hard-to-overlook red flag for any parent if a child is acting out sexually with a toy, sibling or another child or exhibits sexual knowledge at a very young age.
2. Drop or extreme excellence in grades – Contrary to popular belief that a victim of child abuse will exhibit school problems like absence or drop in grades, the other extreme can also occur where the child’s grades have soared abnormally. The child may find solace in getting addicted to certain subjects or get more academically inclined and may actually excel. This further misleads the parents into thinking their child is doing well and they end up encouraging the behavior. Beware that if this kind of excellence is tracing back to an abusive experience, it is not a true achievement. It is a mere reflection of an addictive pattern in a child which in future will not hesitate to shape up to more dangerous addictions like alcohol, drug or sex.
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3. Addiction: Any addiction almost always occurs in order to fill in an internal void. Temporary pleasures derived through various methods give a false promise of “happiness” and a fake sense of security. Addictions observed in victims of child abuse during their childhood usually entail the following:
- Technology addiction : Can include TV, Internet, Gaming addictions
- Food addiction: Can show a sudden increase in appetite for specific food items like sweets or pizza.
4. Behavioral symptoms:
- Withdrawal or isolation – This is closely tied to technology addiction. A child may withdraw and sit in their rooms gaming or watching a certain types of TV show (example cartoons).
- Shrinks away or seems threatened by physical contact
- Phobias
- Poor hygiene or excessive bathing
5. Physical diseases/ signs
- Nightmares or bed-wetting
- Difficulty walking or sitting
- Bloody, torn, or stained underclothes
- Frequent urinary or yeast infections
- Painful urination
- Major changes in appetite
- Bleeding, bruises, or swelling in genital area
- Pain, itching, or burning in genital area
- Sleeping & eating disorders
- Psychosomatic symptoms (stomachaches, headaches)
It is crucial for parents, both mother and father, to give quality AND quantity time to the child. (Click here to find out more about Mother wound and Father wound). There is probably no parent in this world who does not want the good of their children. Being aware of the child’s associations and behaviors can ensure that parents can track any abnormality or unusual changes if the child is suffering due to abuse and help the child tremendously.
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