Child Abuse or Neglect
Abuse means deliberately hurting a child and potentially causing injuries, including bruises, broken bones, burns or cuts. Neglect can include everything from failing to keep kids safe or offering basic necessities such as food, shelter and healthcare.
In 2015, child protection agencies received an estimated 4 million referrals for child maltreatment involving approximately 7.2 million children.
Some of the more common symptoms of abuse and neglect are seeing kids withdraw from friends and family, severe behavioral changes such as hostility, hyperactivity, depression, loss of self-confidence, frequent absences from school, running away – sadly, even suicide attempts.