Children being harmed at home
Questions on this page:
What can you do if you’re being abused?
What will happen to you if you tell someone that you are being abused?
What is child abuse?
Child abuse can mean a lot of different things, and there are different types of child abuse. Child abusers can be anyone, and often when a child is being abused, it will be by someone they know, like a family member or family friend. The important thing to remember is that no one has the right to hurt you, and that you should always tell someone if you think that someone is abusing you.
If you need advice or just want to talk to someone, you should call ChildLine on 0800 1111, which is free and open 24 hours a day, or visit their website.
Child abuse can include:
Emotional abuse, which involves someone saying things to put you down, humiliate you or embarrass you or make you feel scared or like you are in danger. If someone keeps telling you that you’re worthless, ugly or wish you hadn’t been born, or threatening to hurt you, this can be emotional abuse.
Neglect will happen when the person or people who are supposed to look after you – your parents or carers – don’t look after you properly. Your parents or carers have a duty to keep you safe and make sure that your needs are met. Neglect can include not making sure that you have enough food, clothing or a place to live, not taking you to the doctor when you need to go, or leaving you at home alone when this might put you in danger.
Physical abuse is when someone deliberately hurts you, causing you physical harm, like cuts, bruises, broken bones or other injuries. It can include someone slapping or hitting you, either with their own hands or with an object, or causing you harm by burning, shaking, suffocating or poisoning you, for example.
Sexual abuse can happen to boys or girls and is when someone touches you in a way that you are not comfortable with, forces you into having sex or doing other sexual things that you don’t want to do, makes you look at sexual pictures or videos or makes you do something sexual by yourself or with someone else that you do not want to do.
No one has the right to do anything to you or make you do anything sexual that you don’t want to do, including anyone that you know – even your boyfriend or girlfriend. Anyone can be a sexual abuser, including women as well as men. If this is happening to you, it’s not your fault and you should tell someone you know, or phone ChildLine on 0800 1111 to get some advice or to talk about it.
What can you do if you’re being abused?
If you are being abused, the first thing you should do is tell someone about it. You could talk to a parent, teacher, youth worker, counsellor, doctor or the Police, for example. If you want to talk to someone confidentially, you can call ChildLine on 0800 1111.
What will happen to you if you tell someone that you are being abused?
The person you speak with may have to report the abuse to Social Services or the police. A social worker or police officer will then want to ask some questions and talk to you about it. Social Services and the police are there to help you and to make sure that you are protected from the abuse, and you should tell them about it, and answer any questions that they have.
Will you have to go to court?
It may be that the police decide to press charges against the abuser, and you may have to give evidence as a witness in court, but may be entitled to protection or anonymity as a witness. For further information please contact Coram Children’s Legal Centre on 0808 8020 008
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