To report suspected abuse or neglect call the department of social services in the locality in which the child lives or where the alleged abuse has occurred. Physical Abuse is a non-accidental injury to a child by a parent or caretaker. You may see frequent and unexplained bruises, burns, cuts or other injuries. The child may be overly afraid of the parent's reaction to misbehavior. You may see a very young child routinely left alone at home or you may know that a severe illness or injury is not being medically treated.
Physical neglect is hard to judge.
Sometimes what you see is the result of poverty, not parental neglect. Sexual Abuse ranges from non-touching offenses, such as exhibitionism, to fondling, intercourse or using the child for pornographic materials. You may see sexual behavior way beyond what is expected for the child's age. A young child might have sudden, unusual difficulty with toilet habits or there may be pain or itching, bruises or bleeding in the genital area. The child may not be able to tell you directly about these problems.