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Identifying abused children is an unpleasant but necessary task for many. If you are work with children in any way, or are a neighbor, you have a responsibility to report abuse if you see it. Each state is different, but most states say that if you see or witness abuse or its effects, you must report to human services or the local law enforcement.

This is a heavy responsibililty but you do not want to be the person who looked the other way and discover you could have saved a life. Abuse can be physical or emotional. First I will discuss signs of physical abuse.

Most (but not all) physical abuse occurs in children under the age of four or five. After that, abusers realize they are more likely to be found out. Normal bumps on the head occur on chins, foreheads, the apple of the cheeks from falling or running into things. Bruising on the shins, knees, and forearms are also common in normal child's play. Some children bruise easily but if this is so, they should have bruising in the common areas along with any suspicious ones. These should not alone be assumed to be abuse. However, some obvious signs of abuse are:

Bruises/marks on face, head, neck or back that are not likely to have been caused by a child falling or bumping into something at the child's level. A bruise on the back of the head or on the side of the head are very unlikely to have been accidental, whereas a bruise on the forehead is likely to be accidental.

Slap marks are obvious abuse. Sometimes the adult handprint can be visible for half a day and this definintely needs to be reported, more urgently if on the face, head, or neck. The force needed for this type of injury would be enough to cause serious head trauma.

Bruises on the trunk, arms, or legs (other than on the front of shins or knees) that seem to be in different stages of healing are a almost defininte sign of abuse. Any type of marks that seem to be in different stages of healing is a major red flag.

Bite marks, unfortunately, are a common type of physical abuse. Bite marks often leave bruises shaped like ovals and can be in various stages of healing. They are from a parent who for some reason, does not think biting her child is as recognizeable as hitting or may be mistaken for one child biting another.

Outlines of electrical cords, belt buckles, and other items are a sure sign of abuse. No child should be hit with items such as these, on any part of their body. Sometimes cigarette burns can be viewed on the trunk in various stages of healing.

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