Child abuse
Child abuse is when a child is mistreated or harmed by an adult or another child. It can be physical, emotional or sexual and can happened in person or online.
Modern Slavery
Modern slavery is defined as the recruitment, movement, harbouring or receiving of children or adults through the use of force, coercion, abuse of vulnerability, deception or other means for the purpose of exploitation. It is a crime under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and includes holding a person in a position of slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, or facilitating their travel with the intention of exploiting them soon after.
‘Trafficking of persons’ means recruiting, transporting, transferring, hiding, or receiving people using threats, force, or other forms of pressure, like kidnapping, fraud, deception, or abuse of power. It can also involve giving or receiving money or benefits to control someone for exploitation. Exploitation includes sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery, servitude, or organ removal.
Victims of trafficking are coerced or forced by the person arranging their move. When they arrive at their destination, they are denied their human rights and are exploited by the trafficker or the person who takes control of them. Trafficking does not have to be long distance or across county borders, this can be street to street or property to property.
Related resources
Modern slavery for children
Spot the signs:
- Signs of physical or emotional abuse
- Appearing to be malnourished, unkempt or withdrawn
- Isolation from the community, seeming under the control or influence of others
- Living in dirty, cramped or overcrowded accommodation and or living and working at the same address
- Lack of personal effects or identification documents
- Always wearing the same clothes
- Avoidance of eye contact, appearing frightened or hesitant to talk to strangers
- Fear of law enforcers
- Children who are sexually and criminally exploited can also be victims
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is when a person hurts a child on purpose, causing injuries like burns, cuts, bruises or broken bones. Children who are physically abused might be hit, kicked, burned, slapped or have things thrown at them.
The NSPCC has more information and advise to help you.
Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse is when someone tries to humiliate a child, scare them, isolate or ignore them. This kind of abuse can damage a child’s emotional growth and development. Children who face emotional abuse might also suffer from other types of abuse and neglect.
The NSPCC has more information and advise to help you.
Perplexing presentations and fabricated or induced illness
Fabricated or Induced Illness happens when a child suffers harm deliberately from their main caregiver who blames it on something else. This is a rare type of abuse but can be lethal.
Concerns will be raised for a small number of children when it is considered that the health or development of a child is likely to be significantly impaired by the actions of a parent or carer having fabricated or induced illness.
It’s important to focus on the outcomes or impact of the child and not attempt to diagnose the parent or carer. The range of symptoms and body systems involved in the spectrum of fabricated or induced illness are extremely wide.
Investigating fabricated or induced illnesses and assessment of harm falls under statutory framework provided by Working Together 2015 and Safeguarding Children in whom illness is fabricated or induced.
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Forced marriage
A forced marriage is different from an arranged marriage. In a forced marriage, one or both people do not or cannot agree to the marriage. People can be pressured or abused into the marriage in many ways, including physically, emotionally, psychologically, and financially. It also includes making someone marry before they turn 18, even if there is no pressure or abuse.
Forced marriage is illegal and is a form of domestic abuse and a serious abuse of human rights.
The pressure put on people to marry against their will may be:
- Physical – threats, violence or sexual violence
- Emotional and psychological – making someone feel like they are bringing ‘shame’ on their family
- Financial abuse – taking someone’s wages
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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Female Genital Mutilation is a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed, but there’s no medical reason for this to be done.
It can have serious health consequences both during the procedure and in later life. The procedure is typically carried out on girls aged between infancy and 15, most commonly before puberty starts. It’s illegal in the UK and is child abuse. It’s very painful and can seriously harm the health of women and girls.
The NSPCC has more information and advise to help you.
FGM has been a criminal offence in the U.K. since the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 was passed. The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 replaced the 1985 Act and made it an offence for the first time for UK nationals permanent or habitual UK residents to carry out FGM abroad, or to aid, abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of FGM abroad, even in countries where the practice is legal.