CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Under Virginia law, an abused or neglected child is any child under 18 whose parent, or any other person responsible for the care of the child, does any of all of the following:
causes or threatens to cause a non-accidental physical or mental injury, including, but not limited to a child who is with his parent during the manufacture or sale of certain drugs
neglects or refuses to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, emotional nurturing, or health care
abandons the child
fails to provide adequate supervision in relation to the child's age and level of development
commits or allows to be committed any illegal sexual act upon a child including incest, rape, fondling, indecent exposure, prostitution or allows a child to be used in any sexually explicit visual material
knowingly leaves a child alone in the same dwelling with a person who is not related to the child by blood or marriage and who is required to register as a violent sexual offender
IF I SEE ABUSE, SHOULD I REPORT IT?
Witnesses to abuse or neglect may experience anger, dread or anxiety, and they will certainly experience a lot of confusion. Although deciding to report suspected child abuse can be a difficult process, it is an important first step toward protecting a child who might be in danger.
MY CHILD(REN) IS IN FOSTER CARE. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
The Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, programs serving South Hampton Roads created When Your Child is in Foster Care: A Handbook for Parents and Guardians to provide an overview of the child welfare process. It is not intended to offer legal advice but to help adults better understand the legal process and resources available to them. A grant from the Sue Cooke Winfrey Memorial Fund of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation made it possible.
Click HERE to view/download Handbook for Parents and Guardians "When your Child is in Foster Care"
HOW DO I REPORT ABUSE OR NEGLECT?
To report abuse, call the social services agency where the child lives or where the abuse occurred. Ask for Child Protective Services and give them the name, age and address of the child and a description of what is happening. You are not required to give your name, but it helps. Virginia also maintains a 24 hour hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect.
The number is:
757.385.3400 – Virginia Beach Hotline
1.800.552.7096 – State Hotline
Child abuse is not usually just one physical attack or just one instance of failure to meet a child's most basic needs. Usually child abuse is a pattern of behavior which takes place over a period of time. The longer child abuse continues, the more serious it becomes, and the more difficult it is to stop.
WHY DOES CHILD ABUSE HAPPEN?
There is no easy answer to this question, because many factors are involved. However, child abuse is most likely to occur when parents are struggling with:
Stress…Pressures from money problems, everyday frustrations, illness or heavy responsibilities.
A painful childhood…Adults who were mistreated as children may, without meaning to, continue the pattern of abuse with their own children.
Alcohol or other drugs…can blind a parent to a child’s needs or may reduce inhibitions and tolerance levels so that parents may be more likely to lash out.
Isolation…Without friends or relatives nearby, parents can feel overwhelmed by the demands of raising a child.
Inexperience with children or unrealistic expectations…If parents don’t know what to expect from children, they may expect too much. Besides lacking the parenting skills necessary to raise a child, the parents may have no models of successful family relationships from which to learn.
Immaturity…Very young, insecure parents often can’t understand their child’s behavior and needs.
Unmet emotional needs…Parents may expect children to take care of them and to satisfy their need for love, protection and self-esteem.
WHO ARE THE ABUSERS?
There are no monsters. Abusive parents can be your friends, your neighbors or your relatives. They are ordinary people, caught in life situations beyond their control. It is a myth that child abuse occurs only among poor families. Child maltreatment affects all economic, racial, social, ethnic and religious groups.
WHAT IS THE COST OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN MONETARY TERMS?
The cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States is estimated at $258 million per day, according to a study by Prevent Child Abuse America.
HOW CAN CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT BE PREVENTED?
Encourage families under stress to seek out support services.
Call the Parent Helpline for guidance at 1-800-CHILDREN
Prevention is the only sure cure for child abuse and neglect. Through family education and support programs, the vicious and tragic cycle of abuse can be stopped. Our plan for prevention includes:
Helping parents learn to raise and nurture their children without physical or emotional violence. This can be done through support groups and parenting programs and through public awareness campaigns.
Organizing and supporting early intervention programs like Healthy Families Virginia, that provide continuous support to families from the birth of a child through age five.
Training teachers, day care workers, doctors and other professionals about how to prevent abuse and how to recognize and treat abuse when it does occur.
Supporting laws and programs that protect children from the pain of abuse.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, CONTACT
Child Welfare League of America
Champions for Children: Prevent Child Abuse Hampton Roads
Virginia Department of Social Services
Voices for Virginia's Children
