| Related
Information
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Signs of abuse!
Thank you for taking the time to check out this section. Keeping children and young people safe is a responsibility we all share and together we can make a difference.
Child abuse might be sexual, physical, emotional or neglect. Sometimes children are abused in more ways than one.
When children are being abused, they are usually too scared to tell anyone. They cannot help themselves and, too often, the people they should be going to for help are the ones abusing them.
Child abuse needs to be reported because it’s likely to go on until someone gets help – and the people involved may be too ashamed or too distressed to get help for themselves. By reporting abuse, you can help make a child safe.
If you are concerned about the safety or well-being of a child or young person, please tell Child, Youth and Family. Whether you are a member of the public, a professional or you work for another agency and you suspect a child or young person is being abused, or is at risk or being hurt, we want to hear from you. (Many groups of professionals such as teachers or doctors have agreements with us on how to identify child abuse and report it.)
There are different sorts of signs:
- A child or family member tells you they’re being abused (this is called disclosure).
- Physical signs, like bruising.
- Behavioural signs, like becoming aggressive or withdrawn.
- Developmental signs, like a child not progressing.
- Family signs, like domestic violence.
|
|
What you can do
If you suspect a child or young person is being abused, tell Child, Youth and Family – ring 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459) – or the Police. When you contact us with a concern, this is called making a notification.
If a child or young person tells you they are being abused:
- Don’t panic.
- Listen.
- Write down what the child says.
- Don’t interview the child about what they have said.
- Reassure the child that they have done the right thing.
- Tell them that they will get help.
- Tell Child, Youth and Family or the Police.
- If nothing seems to be happening, contact Child, Youth and Family again.
You can report abuse verbally or in writing. People are sometimes reluctant to make a report because they feel it’s none of their business, or in case they’re wrong, or because they’re afraid of what might happen to them afterwards. You won’t get into trouble with the law.
You can report abuse without giving your name, but this can cause problems if social workers need to get back in touch with you to clarify something or get more information.
If you suspect abuse or neglect, but can’t decide if you should report it, talk to someone who might know. You could ask a Child, Youth and Family social worker, or a nurse or a person you trust for advice.
|
|
What happens if you call Child, Youth and Family?
Child, Youth and Family must consider investigating all reports of abuse and neglect. The family won’t be told who made the report, but in some cases they can guess who it was. If the matter is taken to Court, you may be called as a witness – but very few cases go to Court. If it does, your report may only be a small part of the evidence.
Whenever suspected abuse or neglect is reported, the matter is investigated by a social worker and/or a Police officer.
In cases where there is sexual abuse or serious physical abuse, Child, Youth and Family and the Police will be involved because such abuse is a criminal matter.
When sexual abuse is suspected, the child may need to be interviewed following a special process set down for sexual abuse cases.
As far as is practical or desirable, the person who made the report is entitled to know the outcome of the investigation and whether further action is to be taken.
|
|
What happens after Child, Youth and Family investigates?
If no abuse or neglect is found
If no abuse or neglect is found, the family and the person making the report are informed and no further action is taken.
If the problem is relatively straightforward
- If the family wants to sort out the problem but needs some support, a family/whanau agreement could be made with Child, Youth and Family.
- A family meeting may be called to work out a simple solution to stop the problem becoming more serious.
If it’s a more serious or complicated case
- The child will be made safe
- The case will be referred to a care and protection coordinator at Child, Youth and Family who will organise a family group conference to sort out how the child will be protected and cared for.
- In some cases, the matter may go before the Family Court, which will listen to the family and all involved, and make a ruling. It could order counselling, or some kind of support or services for the family. The Court will try to make sure the child is protected and cared for.
- As a last resort, the child or young person may be removed from their home to protect them from harm.
If a crime has been committed
A crime is something like sexual abuse or a serious assault. The Police may decide to prosecute the offender.
|
|
Stopping child abuse
For more detailed information on reporting abuse, definitions of abuse, the roles of Child, Youth and Family and other agencies in dealing with child abuse, what to do if you are hurting your child, and what happens during and following an investigation, visit the Stopping child abuse section of our website.
|
|
|
| |
|
