The following information is provieded to you for your information only!!! Please remember to contact your local law enforcement if you feel/think that you or your child has been abused in any way!

The following information is provieded to you for your information only!!! Please remember to contact your local law enforcement if you feel/think that your child has been abused in any way!

Signs of Child Abuse:

Aggressive, disruptive, and sometimes illegal behavior; Anger and rage, or feelings of sadness or other symptoms of depression; Anxiety or fears, or flashbacks and nightmares; Broken bones or internal injuries; Burns; Changes in a child's behavior or school performance; Constant hunger or thirst; Cuts and bruises; Dirty hair or skin, frequent diaper rash; Drug and alcohol abuse; Hard-to-believe stories about how accidents occurred; Lack of interest in surroundings; Lack of supervision; Passive or withdrawn behavior; Poor self-image; Sexual acting out; Self-destructive or self-abusive behavior, suicidal thoughts; School problems or failure; The child seems guarded and startles easily; The child loiters at school or friends' houses; The child seems reluctant to go home.

Child abuse is more likely to occur when any of the following exist in families:

An adult was abused as a child; An adult views a child as being different from the parent's preconceived expectations; The parent perceives a child as having special needs; There is a crisis or series of crises; Parental depression or mental illness; Parental chronic physical illness; Physical abuse of the mother; Poor adherence to medical recommendation for children; Marked aggression among siblings; Extreme overprotection of child; Poverty; Having physical or behavioral traits that make the child especially difficult to care for; Other violence in the home; Alcohol or other drug abuse by parents or caretakers; Being a stepparent; Social isolation of the caretaker (the person feels that he or she has no support); Family stress due to job loss, financial burdens, illness, death, separation, or divorce.

Child Sexual Abuse
Child molestation is no longer a secret or something that can only happen to other people. It crosses all socio-economic levels. Sex offenders come in all shapes and sizes, from any part of society and can be of any sexual preference. The chance is great, that the victim knows the offender. Child Sexual Abuse occurs, when sexual activity such as exposure of genitalia, fondling, intercourse, oral sex, or pornography (exposure to or involvement in) is enacted with a minor; by a person who holds power over the event. The power difference eliminates consent. If your child tells you that something happened---Listen.

There are behaviors that children who have been victimized exhibit: