Unit 10 Caring for Children and Young People P3 P4 P5 M3 D2 Health and Social Care Level 3 Extended Diploma

Unit 10 P3 P4 P5 M3 D2 Case Study Megan Scully


P3: Explain the factors that would lead to suspicion of child maltreatment or abuse.
P4: Explain appropriate responses when child maltreatment or abuse is suspected.
P5: Explain the strategies and methods that can be used to support children, young people and
their families where abuse is suspected or confirmed.
M3: Assess strategies and methods used to minimise the harm to children, young people and their
families where abuse is confirmed.
D2: Justify responses where child maltreatment or abuse is suspected or confirmed, referring to
current legislation and policies.

Types of maltreatment:
Physical abuse
Physical indicators of abuse may include:
 The child or young person being underweight – Children are frequently weighed during their
childhood with all medical checks. If a child or young person’s weight does not improve at a
specific rate, additional tests may be initiated in order to identify any particular causes. This
could be due to the child or young person not receiving the correct diet to enable them to
develop at the conventional rate.
 The child or young person complaining of soreness – If a child or young person complains about
soreness, this could be due to an underlying fracture or an indicator of bruising. A majority of
children do experience soreness occasionally, however, if this problem persists it could
necessitate an investigation into the specific causes.
 Burns on the child or young person – Burns are particularly susceptible to infection and are
usually very painful. Small circular burns often indicate marks caused by a cigarette or something
similar. This could be due to an abusive individual harming the child or young person as a form
of punishment. This will necessitate medical treatment.
 Bruising on the child or young person – Children and young people who receive frequent
beatings will suffer with bruising and possibly organ damage, tissue damage or fractures. This
may result in death if severe enough.
 The child or young person failing to thrive – If a child or young person is not succeeding in
meeting the acceptable norms of development, further investigation may be initiated as this is
an indication of child abuse.

Emotional abuse
Emotional indicators of abuse may include:
 Threatening behaviour – Children and young people who experience threatening behaviour
systematically may be severely lacking in self-confidence and may also be withdrawn. If
threatening behaviour begins abruptly then the professional should be able to identify the
change in behaviour.
 Verbal abuse – Verbal abuse has the ability to terminate the self-confidence and spirit of a child
or young person. It is often a combination of shouting, belittlement and undermining.
 Constant shouting – Shouting at a child or young person frequently will unavoidably terminate
the self-esteem of the child or young person, often making them disinclined to participate in any
conversation with the abusive individual.
 Belittling and undermining – Continuous belittlement will effectively terminate the self-
confidence and self-esteem of a child or young person, resulting in the child or young person
being disinclined to experience new things.
 Dominating adults – The developmental process of the child or young person may be
interrupted due to the adult dominating the child. This could hold the child back
developmentally if the adult is prohibiting the child or young person from, for example,
participating in activities deemed ‘messy’, ‘dirty’ or ‘dangerous’.