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If you are being physically harmed, or your life is in danger, call emergency services immediately. Signs that you may be in immediate danger include: if someone is threatening to harm or abuse you in a serious way (such as if they are yelling that they are going to hit you or harm you in another way), if that person has a weapon or object, if you are being chased with an intent to harm you, if you are fearful about your safety, and if you are currently being hurt physically or abused by another. Emergency operators are trained to talk you through these situations. They can send law enforcement or a medical response team to assist you. Law enforcement are also typically trained to deal with these situations. They will most likely speak to you in person and ask you questions about your situation in order to determine ways to deal with the issue. In order to get help you need to know if what you are experiencing is actually abuse or normal parenting. Child abuse is defined in terms of physical harm, sexual abuse, emotional harm, and neglect. Physical injury related to abuse is anything that causes bodily harm including: hitting, punching, slapping, or any other action that can leave a mark. This type of abuse can be conveyed to a mandated reporter (teacher, therapist, etc), your local department of child/family services, or law enforcement (sheriffs, police). Common signs of physical abuse include: unexplainable injuries or markings (bruises, cuts, sores), injuries that do not match up with the explanation of the situation, fearful or timid behaviors (looking around frequently, alert), easily scared or startled, and expression of fears of family situations. Other indicators may include: extreme changes in sleeping, eating, social, or academic behaviors. The child may also begin engaging in unsafe behaviors such as using drugs or alcohol. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/25\/Http-www.wikihow.com-Deal-With-Abusive-Parents.jpg\/460px-Http-www.wikihow.com-Deal-With-Abusive-Parents.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/25\/Http-www.wikihow.com-Deal-With-Abusive-Parents.jpg\/728px-Http-www.wikihow.com-Deal-With-Abusive-Parents.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} Under federal law in the United States, spanking to the buttocks is not considered abuse unless injuries occur (such as welts, bruises). Sexual abuse against a child includes touching/petting of a child's private parts, sexual contact with a child, intercourse or other sexual acts, or exposing a child to sexual imagery or content.] Common signs of child sexual abuse are: an understanding of sex which is too mature for the child's age, seductive behaviors or developmentally inappropriate interest in sex, difficulty sitting or standing/walking, avoiding a particular individual for an unknown reason, embarrassment of one's body or avoidance of changing in locker room or at home, and running away from home. Additional signs could be if the child uses substances such as drugs or alcohol, becomes pregnant or develops sexually transmitted infections. Neglect is defined by not providing the child with the necessities of life including food, clothing, shelter, and medical treatment. Signs of neglect include if the child: is visibly unclean or smells bad, wears clothes that do not fit or are inappropriate for the weather, has poor hygiene, and has medical or physical issues that are not treated. Other warning signs are if the child is left alone for long periods of time without adult supervision, or if the child is missing or late to school often. Emotional or verbal abuse includes: yelling, shaming, threatening, calling names, belittling, and other verbal acts that can cause psychological harm. Indicators and warning signs of verbal abuse are if the child is: socially withdrawn, lacking attachment to the guardian or parent, having feelings of shame or guilt, worrying about his behaviors, and behaving in extreme ways that are abnormal for the child (such as very compliant/shy or very obstinate/argumentative, or acting above or below his age). Domestic violence is also an issue. If a child witnesses violence in the family this is a reportable concern. It is common for individuals who have survived abuse to blame themselves for the abuse or justify the situation. Realize that abuse is not your fault. Understand that if your situation falls into any of the four types of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect), this is not acceptable and you do not deserve to be treated this way no matter what. Notifying an adult other than the abuser is the most important part of dealing with abusive parents. Abuse is not something that is easily dealt with on your own. You can contact a trusted adult, mandated reporter (teacher, therapist), Child Protective Services or law enforcement. Child Protective Services staff and other government agency personnel are trained to deal with these types of situations.They will ask you questions and tell you what to expect. Your local law enforcement or governing agency will most likely conduct an investigation and you and certain members of your family may be interviewed. Reporting the abuse can result in a social worker being involved in your case and may require that you and your parents receive education or counseling. Worst case scenario is that you would be removed from the home for your own safety. In this case, children are typically placed under foster care until the abusive situation is resolved.
Take action if you or someone you know is in immediate danger. Identify if you are experiencing abuse. Understand physical abuse. Recognize child sexual abuse. Know about neglect. Understand emotional abuse. Reduce self-blame. Report the abuse.