Very aggressive, negative behavior constantly repeated can signal a desperate need for attention and help. When children are excessively shy and friendless, it may indicate that there are serious problems at home. Parents who don't share in school or community activities and resent friendly contacts may be distrustful of people, afraid of their help. Use caution and good sense in identifying child abuse. Every parents makes errors in judgment and action at some time but when it becomes plain that there is a pattern or it is becoming one, then it's time for help.
Helpers seek to protect the child and help families learn how to live together and cope with crisis.
The kind of help given depends on a particular family's problems and needs. These are vital first steps. Help must be sought immediately for urgent problems, such as physical injury, malnutrition, serious neglect. Children may also need developmental testing or psychiatric therapy. Parents may need a physician's help, too, for physical problems, mental distress, depression, alcohol abuse, etc.