Counseling Childhood Physical Abuse

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To counsel a child who has come from an abusive home it is imperative for the counselor to know and recognize the signs and effect of abuse before assessment and eventual treatment can occur. One of the greatest plights a child may face during their childhood is abuse. Even afterward the effects of abuse can last a lifetime, but it has no control of how a child will act when they become an adult, though many blame past abuse on current actions. Knowing the signs is the easiest ways to recognize abuse, especially physical abuse. Because abuse often thrives in privacy it is crucial to know the signs that they try so hard to hide. The signs of physical abuse are not always as eye-catching as a black eye or a broken arm. As plainly stated by Patricia Rushford in her book It Shouldn't Hurt to Be a Kid, “The actual injury is not as important as the way it came about.”1 When one believes that abuse may be occurring it is important to ask the child. It does not have to be a serious “sit down” conversation, but simply asking the child what happened can prove or disprove abuse. Every child gets injuries, it is a part of growing up and children learn from them. It is when a child is hurt intentionally, when nothing is done after an injury has occurred, or nothing done to stop a preventable injury, that it becomes abuse. Physical signs of abuse are: cuts and bruises, injuries to the neck, head, and stomach as well as the back of the leg and underarm, broken bones, sprains or fractures, injuries healing at different stages, and burns.2 Though obvious injuries frequently tell the world about abuse, it is often hidden in areas that are easy to cover up. The psychological effects and signs of abuse can last a lifetime depending not only ... ... middle of paper ... ...webmd.com/parenting/tc/child-maltreatment-treatment-overview> Garbarino, J., & Gilliam, G. (1980). Understanding abusive families. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books. Liovsky, JA. “Treatment of Child Victims of Abuse and Neglect – Children's...” 2007. “Physical Abuse Counseling – Counseling Directory.” 2005. 21 Apr. 2014 Physical Abuse Therapy, Physical Abuse Therapist. (n.d.). Physical Abuse Therapy, Physical Abuse Therapist. Retrieved January 31, 2014, from Rushford, P.H. (2003). It Shouldn't Hurt to be a Kid. Grand Rapids, MI: Spire. “You Carry the Cure In Your Own Heart by Andrew Vachss...” 24 Apr. 2014

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