Resources for Information 

and Assistance

ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline 

Crisis counselors are available to talk 

24 hours/day. 

1–800–4–A–CHILD or 1–800–422–4453 

www.childhelp.org

National Sexual Assault Hotline 

This 24-hour online hotline provides free and 

confidential support to survivors of sexual assault 

and their family and friends. 

www.rainn.org

National Runaway Switchboard 

This confidential 24-hour service helps 

youth in crisis find local resources. 

1–800–RUNAWAY or 1–800–786–2929 

www.1800runaway.org 

This product was developed by the National Center for Victims of Crime under 

an agreement with ICF International in support of the Office for Victims 

of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center under contract number 

GS–23F–8182H/OJP–2006F_124. The opinions, findings, and conclusions 

or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do 

not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department 

of Justice.

OVC

HELP SERIES

for Crime Victims

Endnote

1

D. Finkelhor et al., 2009, “Violence, Abuse, and Crime Exposure in a 

National Sample of Children and Youth,” Pediatrics 124(5).

to someone who is not helpful or who tells you to 

forget about the abuse, don’t give up. Tell someone 

else, and keep telling until you get the help you 

need to feel safe.

Talking to someone can help you—

•	 Learn that the abuse is not your fault. No one

deserves to be abused. 

•	 Get support to be safe.

•	 Find out that you are not alone. Other people

have been through similar things. 

•	 Start the process of feeling better and getting

your life back more quickly. 

•	 Build trusting and healthy relationships.

•	 Feel more hopeful about your life and the future.

Some adults are required by law to report some 

types of abuse to child protection services or the 

police. These professionals investigate abuse and 

find ways to protect youth and, if possible, keep 

families together. Although an investigation can 

sometimes be difficult and cause children and 

families to worry about what will happen to the 

abuser and to their family, remember that these 

professionals need to find out the truth so they can 

stop the abuse and get children and families the 

help they need to recover and get their lives back 

on the right track.

It takes courage to ask for help, but if you are 

abused and you tell someone, things can get better. If you are too nervous or scared to tell someone you know, you can talk to a counselor at the 

ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline by calling 

1–800–4–A–CHILD (1–800–422–4453). 

Child Abuse 

(For Youth Ages 12 and Older)
What Is Child Abuse?

Child abuse is when an adult—usually a parent, 

family member, caretaker, or someone else close to 

the family—hurts a child or teen, makes that youth 

feel worthless, has sexual contact with him or her, 

or does not provide adequate food, care, or shelter. 

Child abuse can happen to all types of kids and 

in all types of families. And it isn’t something that 

only happens to little kids: 32 percent of 14- to 

17-year-olds in the United States have been abused 

or neglected in their lifetimes, and 28 percent have 

been sexually victimized.1

From time to time, all parents and children have

problems, but most parents and adults do not abuse 

children. There is no single reason why people 

abuse others. Some adults abuse children because 

they themselves were abused when they were children. Others just can’t handle their feelings in

a healthy way; they might be worried about something, like a problem at work or not having enough 

money to pay their bills, and take it out on their 

kids. Drinking alcohol or using drugs can also make 

it hard for some people to control their actions. 

No matter what the reason is for the adult’s behavior, it’s important to know that child abuse is never 

the child’s fault.

How Can I Tell If I’m 

Being Abused?

It may sound strange, but people who have lived 

with abuse for many years may not even realize 

that they are being abused. If you have grown up in 

a family where abuse occurs almost every day, you 

may think that hitting, pushing, or constant yelling 

are normal ways to treat the members of your family and other people. Every family has arguments, 

but when yelling goes too far or lasts too long or 

when disagreements turn physical, that is abuse, 

and abuse is not normal or healthy.

It may help to understand and recognize that kids 

may experience one or more of these four kinds of 

abuse.

•	 Physical abuse is hitting, shaking, burning, pinching, biting, choking, throwing, beating, or other 

actions that cause physical injury or pain, or

leave marks.

•	 Sexual abuse is any kind of sexual contact with 

a child or youth. It includes direct physical contact, such as when an abuser touches a young 

person’s private parts with his/her hands, body 

parts, or objects, or when an abuser has a child

touch these parts on the abuser’s body. Sexual 

abuse may also involve showing a child or young 

person pictures or movies of other people without 

their clothes on, or it may involve taking these 

types of pictures of the child or young person. 

Sometimes abusers show or threaten to show 

these pictures or videos to other people to scare 

kids into not telling about the abuse.

•	 Emotional abuse involves yelling, name-calling, 

swearing, or constantly criticizing or humiliating 

a young person. It also can include denying basic emotional needs such as withholding affection 

or security from a young person. Emotional abuse 

often occurs along with physical and sexual 

abuse. 

•	 Neglect occurs when a parent does not provide 

for a young person’s basic needs and safety—

necessities such as food, proper clothing, a place 

to live, or medical care. Leaving kids alone for 

long periods or kicking them out of the house 

can also be neglect.

If you have been hurt—physically, sexually, emotionally, or due to neglect—you may be a victim of 

abuse. Abuse and neglect can affect the way you 

view yourself and the rest of the world. You might—

•	 Feel afraid, anxious, angry, confused, or sad.

•	 Fear being hurt again.

•	 Have trouble sleeping, eating, and

concentrating.

•	 Skip school or not do well in school.

•	 Have lots of headaches or stomachaches.

•	 Use drugs or alcohol.

•	 Feel ashamed or even blame yourself for

becoming a victim.

•	 Have trouble with relationships with friends or

other people.

•	 Not know where to turn for help.

If you feel things are not so great in your family, or 

if things in your life hurt or confuse you, keep reading. You’ll see that it’s not your fault and that things 

can get better. 

What Should I Do If 

I’m Being Abused?

The way to stop abuse is to talk about it. If you or 

someone you know is being abused, it’s important 

for you to tell someone you trust. Trusting someone 

after you’ve been hurt can be hard to do, but there 

are people who will believe you and want to help 

you. If there is no one you can trust at home, talk to 

someone at school, like a teacher, counselor, school 

nurse, coach, or a friend’s mom or dad. You should 

not keep the abuse a secret, even if the adult abusing you tells you that something bad will happen if 

you tell. 

Sometimes, the people you turn to may not want 

to believe that you have been abused. If you talk