Child Abuse Guidance

The purpose of this guidance is:

• to provide staff and volunteers with the definitions and signs of child abuse
• how children might disclose abuse
• how to report and disclose concerns

This document has been drawn up using definitions and guidance from the NSPCC and forms part of Bee Inspired Eco Education CIC (BIEE)’s induction and training for staff and volunteers.

Key Sections

Supporting documents

• Supporting documents
• What is child abuse?
• General signs of abuse
• Disclosure
• Spotting the signs of abuse
• Raising concerns about a child
• Whistleblowing

Supporting documents

This policy should be read alongside our organisational policies, procedures, guidance and other related documents:

• Safeguarding Policy
• Code of Conduct for Adults
• Code of Conduct for Children and Young People
• Safer Recruitment Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Photography and Filming policy
• Online Safety Policy Statement
• Nominated Child Protection Lead
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
• Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
• Anti-bullying Policy Statement
• Compliments/Complaints Policy and Procedure
• Whistleblowing Policy and Procedures
• Privacy Policy

What is Child Abuse?

Child abuse happens when a person harms a child. It can be physical, sexual or emotional, but can also involve neglect. Children may be abused by:

• family members
• friends
• people working or volunteering in organisational or community settings
• people they know
• strangers.

General signs of abuse

Children who experience abuse may be afraid to tell anybody about the abuse. They may struggle with feelings of guilt, shame or confusion – particularly if the abuser is a parent, caregiver or other close family member or friend.

Many of the signs that a child is being abused are the same regardless of the type of abuse. Anyone working with children or young people needs to be able to recognise the signs. These include a child:

• being afraid of particular places or making excuses to avoid particular people
• knowing about or being involved in ‘adult issues’ which are inappropriate for their age or stage of development, for example alcohol, drugs and/or sexual behaviour
• having angry outbursts or behaving aggressively towards others
• becoming withdrawn or appearing anxious, clingy or depressed
• self-harming or having thoughts about suicide
• showing changes in eating habits or developing eating disorders
• regularly experiencing nightmares or sleep problems
• regularly wetting the bed or soiling their clothes
• running away or regularly going missing from home or care
• not receiving adequate medical attention after injuries.

These signs do not necessarily mean that a child is being abused. There may well be other reasons for changes in a child’s behaviour such as a bereavement or relationship problems between parents or carers. If you have any concerns about a child’s wellbeing, you should report them following BIEE’s safeguarding and child protection procedures.

Physical abuse

What is physical abuse?

Physical abuse happens when a child is deliberately hurt, causing physical harm. It can involve hitting, kicking, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or suffocating. It’s also physical abuse if a parent or carer makes up or causes the symptoms of illness in children. For example, they may give them medicine they don’t need, making them unwell. This is known as fabricated or induced illness (FII).

Spotting the signs of physical abuse

All children have trips, falls and accidents which may cause cuts, bumps and bruises. These injuries tend to affect bony areas of their body such as elbows, knees and shins and are not usually a cause for concern. Injuries that are more likely to indicate physical abuse include:

• Bruising
  • bruises on the cheeks, ears, palms, arms and feet
  • bruises on the back, buttocks, tummy, hips and backs of legs
  • multiple bruises in clusters, usually on the upper arms or outer thighs
  • bruising which looks like it has been caused by fingers, a hand or an object, like a belt or shoe
  • large oval-shaped bite marks.
• Burns or scalds
  • any burns which have a clear shape of an object, for example cigarette burns
  • burns to the backs of hands, feet, legs, genitals or buttocks.

Other signs of physical abuse include multiple injuries (such as bruising, fractures) inflicted at different times. If a child is frequently injured, and if the bruises or injuries are unexplained or the explanation doesn’t match the injury, this should be investigated. It’s also concerning if there is a delay in seeking medical help for a child who has been injured.

Neglect

What is neglect?

Neglect is not meeting a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs. This can result in serious damage to their health and development. Neglect may involve a parent or carer not:

• providing adequate food, clothing or shelter
• supervising a child or keeping them safe from harm or danger (including leaving them with unsuitable carers)
• making sure the child receives appropriate health and/or dental care
• making sure the child receives a suitable education
• meeting the child’s basic emotional needs – this is known as emotional neglect.

Neglect is the most common type of child abuse. It often happens at the same time as other types of abuse.

Spotting the signs of neglect

Neglect can be difficult to identify. Isolated signs may not mean that a child is suffering neglect, but multiple and persistent signs over time could indicate a serious problem. Some of these signs include:

• children who appear hungry – they may not have lunch money or even try to steal food
• children who appear dirty or smelly
• children whose clothes are inadequate for the weather conditions
• children who are left alone or unsupervised for long periods or at a young age
• children who have untreated injuries, health or dental problems
• children with poor language, communication or social skills for their stage of development
• children who live in an unsuitable home environment.

Sexual abuse

What is sexual abuse?

Sexual abuse is forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities. It doesn’t necessarily involve violence and the child may not be aware that what is happening is abuse.

Child sexual abuse can involve contact abuse and non-contact abuse.

Contact abuse happens when the abuser makes physical contact with the child. It includes:

• sexual touching of any part of the body whether the child is wearing clothes or not
• rape or penetration by putting an object or body part inside a child’s mouth, vagina or anus
• forcing or encouraging a child to take part in sexual activity
• making a child take their clothes off or touch someone else’s genitals.

Non-contact abuse involves non-touching activities. It can happen online or in person and includes:

• encouraging or forcing a child to watch or hear sexual acts
• making a child masturbate while others watch
• not taking proper measures to prevent a child being exposed to sexual activities by others
• showing pornography to a child
• making, viewing or distributing child abuse images
• allowing someone else to make, view or distribute child abuse images.
• meeting a child following online sexual grooming with the intent of abusing them.

Online sexual abuse includes:

• persuading or forcing a child to send or post sexually explicit images of themselves, this is sometimes referred to as sexting
• persuading or forcing a child to take part in sexual activities via a webcam or smartphone
• having sexual conversations with a child by text or online.

Abusers may threaten to send sexually explicit images, video or copies of sexual conversations to the young person’s friends and family unless they take part in other sexual activity. Images or videos may continue to be shared long after the abuse has stopped. Abusers will often try to build an emotional connection with a child in order to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse. This is known as grooming.

Spotting the signs of sexual abuse

There may be physical signs that a child has suffered sexual abuse. These include:

• anal or vaginal soreness or itching
• bruising or bleeding near the genital area
• discomfort when walking or sitting down
• an unusual discharge
• sexually transmitted infections (STI)
• pregnancy.

Changes in the child’s mood or behaviour may also cause concern. They may want to avoid spending time with specific people. In particular, the child may show sexual behaviour that is inappropriate for their age. For example:

• they could use sexual language or know things about sex that you wouldn’t expect them to
• they might become sexually active or pregnant at a young age.

Child sexual exploitation

What is child sexual exploitation?

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse. Young people may be coerced or groomed into exploitative situations and relationships. They may be given things such as gifts, money, drugs, alcohol, status or affection in exchange for taking part in sexual activities.

Young people may be tricked into believing they’re in a loving, consensual relationship. They often trust their abuser and don’t understand that they’re being abused. They may depend on their abuser or be too scared to tell anyone what’s happening. They might be invited to parties and given drugs and alcohol before being sexually exploited. They can also be groomed and exploited online.

Some children and young people are trafficked into or within the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Sexual exploitation can also happen to young people in gangs (Berelowitz et al, 2013).

Child sexual exploitation can involve violent, humiliating and degrading sexual assaults and involve multiple perpetrators.

Sexual exploitation can be very difficult to identify. Young people who are being sexually exploited may:

• go missing from home, care or education
• be involved in abusive relationships
• hang out with groups of older people
• be involved in gangs or anti-social groups
• have older boyfriends or girlfriends
• spend time at places of concern, such as hotels or known brothels
• be involved in petty crime such as shoplifting
• have access to drugs and alcohol
• have new things such as clothes and mobile phones, which they aren’t able to easily explain
• have unexplained physical injuries.

Harmful sexual behaviour

What is harmful sexual behaviour?

Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) is developmentally inappropriate sexual behaviour which is displayed by children and young people and which may be harmful or abusive. It may also be referred to as sexually harmful behaviour or sexualised behaviour.

HSB encompasses a range of behaviour, which can be displayed towards younger children, peers, older children or adults. It is harmful to the children and young people who display it, as well as the people it is directed towards. HSB can include:

• using sexually explicit words and phrases
• inappropriate touching
• using sexual violence or threats
• sexual activity with other children or adults.

Sexual behaviour between children is considered harmful if one of the children is much older – particularly if there is more than two years’ difference in age or if one of the children is pre-pubescent and the other isn’t (Davies, 2012). However, a younger child can abuse an older child, particularly if they have power over them – for example, if the older child is disabled (Rich, 2011).

Spotting the signs of harmful sexual behaviour

t’s normal for children to show signs of sexual behaviour at each stage in their development. Children also develop at different rates and some may be slightly more or less advanced than other children in their age group. Behaviours which might be concerning depend on the child’s age and the situation.

Emotional abuse

What is emotional abuse?

Emotional abuse involves:

• humiliating, putting down or regularly criticising a child
• shouting at or threatening a child or calling them names
• mocking a child or making them perform degrading acts
• constantly blaming or scapegoating a child for things which are not their fault
• trying to control a child’s life and not recognising their individuality
• not allowing a child to have friends or develop socially
• pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations
• manipulating a child
• exposing a child to distressing events or interactions
• persistently ignoring a child
• being cold and emotionally unavailable during interactions with a child
• not being positive or encouraging to a child or praising their achievements and successes.

Spotting the signs of emotional abuse

There aren’t usually any obvious physical signs of emotional abuse but you may spot changes in a child’s actions or emotions. Some children are naturally quiet and self-contained whilst others are more open and affectionate. Mood swings and challenging behaviour are also a normal part of growing up for teenagers and children going through puberty. Be alert to behaviours which appear to be out of character for the individual child or are particularly unusual for their stage of development. Children may:

• use language, act in a way or know about things that you wouldn’t expect for their age
• struggle to control strong emotions or have extreme outbursts
• seem isolated from their parents
• lack social skills or have few, if any, friends
• fear making mistakes
• fear their parent being approached regarding their behaviour
• self-harm.

Domestic abuse

What is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse is any type of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between people who are, or who have been in a relationship, regardless of gender or sexuality. It can include physical, sexual, psychological, emotional or financial abuse.

Exposure to domestic abuse is child abuse. Children can be directly involved in incidents of domestic abuse or they may be harmed by seeing or hearing abuse happening. Children in homes where there is domestic abuse are also at risk of other types of abuse or neglect.

Spotting the signs of domestic abuse

It can be difficult to tell if domestic abuse is happening, because abusers can act very differently when other people are around. Children who witness domestic abuse may:

• become aggressive
• display anti-social behaviour
• suffer from depression or anxiety
• not do as well at school – due to difficulties at home or disruption of moving to and from refuges.

Bullying and cyberbullying

What are bullying and cyberbullying?

Bullying is when individuals or groups seek to harm, intimidate or coerce someone who is perceived to be vulnerable.

Bullying includes:

• verbal abuse, such as name calling
• non-verbal abuse, such as hand signs or glaring
• emotional abuse, such as threatening, intimidating or humiliating someone
• exclusion, such as ignoring or isolating someone
• undermining, by constant criticism or spreading rumours
• controlling or manipulating someone
• racial, sexual or homophobic bullying
• physical assaults, such as hitting and pushing
• making silent, hoax or abusive calls.

Bullying can happen anywhere – at school, at home or online. When bullying happens online it can involve social networks, games and mobile devices. Online bullying can also be known as cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying includes:

• sending threatening or abusive text messages
• creating and sharing embarrassing images or videos
• ‘trolling’ – sending menacing or upsetting messages on social networks, chat rooms or online games
• excluding children from online games, activities or friendship groups
• setting up hate sites or groups about a particular child
• encouraging young people to self-harm
• voting for or against someone in an abusive poll
• creating fake accounts, hijacking or stealing online identities to embarrass a young person or cause trouble using their name.

Spotting the signs of bullying and cyberbullying

It can be hard to know whether or not a child is being bullied. They might not tell anyone because they’re scared the bullying will get worse. They might also think that the bullying is their fault. No one sign indicates for certain that a child’s being bullied, but you should look out for:

• belongings getting ‘lost’ or damaged
• physical injuries such as unexplained bruises
• being afraid to go to school, being mysteriously ‘ill’ each morning, or skipping school
• not doing as well at school
• asking for, or stealing, money (to give to a bully)
• being nervous, losing confidence or becoming distressed and withdrawn
• problems with eating or sleeping
• bullying others.

Child trafficking

What is child trafficking?

Child trafficking is child abuse. It involves recruiting and moving children who are then exploited. Many children are trafficked into the UK from overseas, but children can also be trafficked from one part of the UK to another. Children may be trafficked for:

• child sexual exploitation
• benefit fraud
• forced marriage
• domestic servitude such as cleaning, childcare, cooking
• forced labour in factories or agriculture
• criminal exploitation such as cannabis cultivation, pickpocketing, begging, transporting, drugs, selling pirated DVDs and bag theft.

Children who are trafficked experience many forms of abuse and neglect. Physical, sexual and emotional abuse is often used to control them and they’re also likely to suffer physical and emotional neglect.

Child trafficking can require a network of organised criminals who recruit, transport and exploit children and young people. Some people in the network might not be directly involved in trafficking a child but play a part in other ways, such as falsifying documents, bribery, owning or renting premises or money laundering (Europol, 2011). Child trafficking can also be organised by individuals and the children’s own families.

Traffickers trick, force or persuade children to leave their homes. They use grooming techniques to gain the trust of a child, family or community. Although these are methods used by traffickers, coercion, violence or threats don’t need to be proven in cases of child trafficking – a child cannot legally consent to their exploitation so child trafficking only requires evidence of movement and exploitation.

Modern slavery is another term which may be used in relation to child trafficking. Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking (HM Government, 2014). The Modern Slavery Act passed in 2015 in England and Wales categorises offences of slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking.

Spotting the signs of child trafficking

Signs that a child has been trafficked may not be obvious but you might notice unusual behaviour or events. Children who have been trafficked may:

• have to do excessive housework chores
• rarely leave the house and have limited freedom of movement
• not have any documents (or have falsified documents)
• give a prepared story which is very similar to stories given by other children
• be unable or reluctant to give details of accommodation or personal details
• not be registered with a school or a GP practice
• have a history with missing links and unexplained moves
• be cared for by adults who are not their parents or carers
• not have a good quality relationship with their adult carers
• be one among a number of unrelated children found at one address
• receive unexplained or unidentified phone calls whilst in a care placement or temporary accommodation.

Female genital mutilation

What is female genital mutilation?

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It’s also known as female circumcision or cutting.

The age at which FGM is carried out varies. It may be carried out when a child is new-born, during childhood or adolescence, just before marriage or during pregnancy (Home Office et al, 2016).

FGM is child abuse. There are no medical reasons to carry out FGM. It’s dangerous and a criminal offence.

Spotting the signs of female genital mutilation

A child at risk of FGM may not know what’s going to happen. But they might talk about or you may become aware of:

• a long holiday abroad or going ‘home’ to visit family
• relative or cutter visiting from abroad
• a special occasion or ceremony to ‘become a woman’ or get ready for marriage
• a female relative being cut – a sister, cousin or an older female relative such as a mother or aunt
• missing school repeatedly or running away from home.

A child who has had FGM may:

• have difficulty walking, standing or sitting
• spend longer in the bathroom or toilet
• appear withdrawn, anxious or depressed
• have unusual behaviour after an absence from school or college
• be particularly reluctant to undergo normal medical examinations
• ask for help, but may not be explicit about the problem due to embarrassment or fear.

Reporting requirements

Regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales must report ‘known’ cases of FGM in under-18s to the police (Home Office, 2016).

Disclosure

Disclosure is the process by which children and young people start to share their experiences of abuse with others. This can take place over a long period of time – it is a journey, not one act or action.

Children may disclose directly or indirectly and sometimes they may start sharing details of abuse before they are ready to put their thoughts and feelings in order.

Not all disclosures will lead to a formal report of abuse or a case being made or a case being taken to court, but all disclosures should be taken seriously.

It takes extraordinary courage for a child to go through the journey of disclosing abuse.

It’s vital that anyone who works with children and young people undertaking this journey is able to provide them with the support they need.

How disclosure happens

Children and young people may disclose abuse in a variety of ways, including:

• directly: making specific verbal statements about what’s happened to them
• indirectly: making ambiguous verbal statements which suggest something is wrong
• behaviourally: displaying behaviour that signals something is wrong (this may or may not be deliberate)
• non-verbally – writing letters, drawing pictures or trying to communicate in other ways.

Children and young people may not always be aware that they are disclosing abuse through their actions and behaviour.

Sometimes children and young people make partial disclosures of abuse. This means they give some details about what they’ve experienced, but not the whole picture. They may withhold some information because they:

• are afraid they will get in trouble with or upset their family
• want to deflect blame in case of family difficulties as a result of the disclosure
• feel ashamed and/or guilty
• need to protect themselves from having to relive traumatic events.

Barriers to disclosure

There are many reasons why children and young people might find it hard to talk about their experiences of abuse or neglect. They might be reluctant to seek help because they feel they don’t have anyone to turn to for support. They may have sought help in the past and had a negative experience, which makes them unlikely to do so again or they may not have the knowledge or words to describe their experience.

Some children and young people may also:

• blame themselves for the abuse or feel shame or guilt – feelings which can be made worse through the use of ‘victim-blaming’ language or labelling
• experience feelings of isolation
• be afraid of negative reactions from parents, caregivers, peers and professionals
• worry they will be causing trouble and making the situation worse
• be concerned about confidentiality
• feel too embarrassed to talk to an adult about a private or personal problem
• feel that they will not be taken seriously
• lack trust in the people around them (including parents) and in the services provided to help them
• find formal procedures overwhelming
• not know about the support services available to them, or be unable to access these services

Spotting the signs of abuse

Children and young people who have been abused may want to tell someone, but not have the exact words to do so. They may attempt to disclose abuse by giving adults clues, through their actions and by using indirect words.

You need to be able to notice the signs that a child or young person might be distressed and ask them appropriate questions about what might have caused this.

Raising concerns about a child

It is important that you are aware and alert to signs of child abuse. All employees, directors and volunteers at BIEE have a responsibility to raise any concerns.

Timely information sharing is key to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Safeguarding a child is a clear and legitimate reason for sharing information and data protection law does not prevent you from doing this.

Sharing information to safeguard children includes:

• preventing harm
• identifying risk to prevent harm
• promoting the welfare of a child

In-house

Discuss your concerns in the first instance with the Nominated Child Protection Lead or Lead director for Safeguarding if you are unsure if they are suffering significant harm.

Record details of any concern

If you have concerns about a child or young person’s welfare or safety, it’s vital all relevant details are recorded. This should be done regardless of whether the concerns are shared with the police or children’s social care.

Fill in a ‘Concerns Form’ to keep an accurate record. This can be done with the support of either the Nominated Child Protection Lead or Lead director for Safeguarding. It is important to do this while your memory is fresh. The record will include details of:

• the date and time of the incident/disclosure
• the date and time of the report
• the name and role of the person to whom the concern was originally reported and their contact details
• the name and role of the person making the report (if this is different to the above) and their contact details
• the names of all parties who were involved in the incident, including any witnesses
• the name, age and any other relevant information about the child who is the subject of the concern (including information about their parents or carers and any siblings)
• what was said or done and by whom
• any action taken to look into the matter
• any further action taken (such as a referral being made)
• the reasons why BIEE decided not to refer those concerns to a statutory agency (if relevant).

Make sure the report is factual. Any interpretation or inference drawn from what was observed, said or alleged should be clearly reported as such. The record should always be signed and dated by the person making the report.

With school/youth club

If the child is participating in a BIEE workshop or after-school club that is organised by their school or youth group, your concerns should also be highlighted with their safeguarding officer.

With parents/guardians

If appropriate, the safeguarding lead will inform the parents about the concerns, unless doing so would put the child at risk.

With other relevant parties

BIEE may need to share information about the children and families we are involved with for a number of reasons. These include:

• making a referral to arrange additional support for someone in the family
• someone from another agency has asked for information about a child or family
• someone in the family has asked to be referred for further help
• a statutory duty or court order requires information to be shared
• you are concerned that a child or a member of their family may be at risk of significant harm
• you think a serious crime may have been committed or is about to be committed which involves someone in the family.

Details of any information sharing or requesting information will be recorded on the Concerns Form. It is important to ensure a child’s safety and welfare is not being put at risk by sharing information about them.

Consent to share information about a child and their family will always be sought if it does not put the child at risk of significant harm.

If consent isn’t given, under certain circumstances information will still be shared with relevant professionals, for example if it is done to protect a child from significant harm.

Escalating concerns

If a child is suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm, you can share information with appropriate agencies or professionals without the child’s or their parent’s consent

If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.

If a child is not in immediate danger:

• Follow BIEE’s safeguarding policies and procedures as soon as possible

The BIEE Safeguarding lead may then refer the concern on:

• Safeguarding leads at the child’s school/youth club if appropriate
• Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership
• The police – they will assess the situation and take the appropriate action to protect the child
• The NSPCC helpline child protection specialists – who will talk through the concerns, give expert advice and take action to protect the child as appropriate. This may include making a referral to the local authority.

Whistleblowing

If you’re concerned about how child protection issues are handled in BIEE, or another, organisation you can share your concerns by whistleblowing.

Whistleblowing is when someone reports wrongdoing on the basis that it is in the public interest for the wrongdoing to be brought to light. This is usually something they’ve seen at work but not always. The wrongdoing might have happened in the past, be happening now, or be something the whistleblower is concerned may happen in the near future. Refer to the Whistleblowing Policy and Procedure available on the website.

Call the Whistleblowing Advice Line on 0800 028 0285 to get free advice and support if:

• your or another organisation doesn’t have clear safeguarding procedures to follow
• concerns aren’t dealt with properly or may be covered up
• a concern that was raised hasn’t been acted upon
• you’re worried about being treated unfairly.

We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.

This policy was last reviewed on: 1 November 2024, next review 1 November 2025