I worked for a tutoring agency once and, during the training, we got to a topic that was uncomfortable for everyone - child abuse. Sadly, child abuse is a big thing in the States and, especially in education, it is a topic of concern for everyone involved - staff and parents alike.

There are many types of child abuse out there, but they are basically lumped into two categories - physical and emotional. In this post, we will be covering the physical types of child abuse and their signs, as well as what you should do.

The Physical Types of Child Abuse

  • Light abuse - this can be anything from red marks to scratches, and generally is the result of an over-generous punishing style.

  • Heavy abuse - black eyes, bleeding, bruises - these are all signs of heavy abuse and should be dealt with immediately.

  • Sexual abuse - less obvious, this involves behavior changes, fear of adults, strange drawings, feelings of extreme shyness/insecurity.

In all cases, these types of child abuse should be reported to the school counselor. In the event of something extreme, like finding out the parent is sexually abusing their child and they are getting picked up that day - the authorities need to be called ASAP.