What is child abuse?

Child abuse is any act that causes physical or emotional harm to a child. It is carried out by someone who is in a position of responsibility, trust or power. This might be an adult or an older child.

Child abuse is against the law. It is never appropriate.

An act may be considered child abuse even if it was not intentional.

It's not known how many children suffer from child abuse because many children don't tell anyone about it.

What are the types of child abuse?

There are different types of child abuse. Most children who are abused experience more than one type.

Physical abuse

This means using physical force to injure a child. Some examples are:

• hitting
• pushing
• shaking
• strangling
• burning
• poisoning

Emotional abuse

This means using words or actions to make a child feel that there is something wrong with them, or that they are not loved or valued for who they are. Some examples of emotional abuse are:

• criticising
• teasing
• blaming
• threatening
• humiliating

Neglect

This means failing to provide a child with their basic needs, such as:

• food
• clothing and hygiene
• a place to live
• supervision and a safe environment
• medical or dental treatment
• education
• love

Sexual abuse

This refers to any sexual act involving a child including:

• inappropriate touching
• intruding on a child's privacy
• forcing a child to watch sexual acts
• making a child behave in a sexual way
• using a child in pornography

Exposure to family violence

This is when a child lives in a home where there is domestic and family violence.

Exploitation

A child can be used for someone else's benefit, resulting in harmful treatment of the child. Some examples are using a child for labour, drug trafficking or pornography.

Who is at risk of child abuse?

Children are most often abused or neglected by a family member or someone they know. The person committing abuse could be male or female.

A child is at higher risk of abuse if:

• another child in their family has been abused
• their family doesn't have support from extended family, friends or community
• they have a parent with an intellectual disability, a mental health problem or an addiction to drugs, alcohol or gambling
• their family has financial stress or no stable place to live
• they have a parent who was abused as a child
• they live in a home where there is domestic violence
• they have a disability

Injuries may arise from the use of force. Injuries may also arise if a caregiver is unable to provide supervision and care.

What are the effects of child abuse?

Child abuse can affect a child's physical, psychological, emotional, behavioural and social development.

It can lead to:

• a feeling of shame and low self esteem
• changes in mood
• nightmares and flashbacks
• difficulty trusting people and forming relationships
• learning problems
• thoughts of self-harm and suicide

Children who have been abused have a higher risk of problems such as:

• depression
• anxiety
• eating disorders
• violence and crime
• drug and alcohol abuse
• unsafe sexual behaviours

The effects of child abuse don't go away when a child grows up. As an adult, they are at higher risk of suicide, violence, drug abuse and mental health problems.

What are the signs of child abuse?

It's not always possible to know if a child is being abused. But there may be physical, emotional or behavioural signs, such as:

• broken bones, bruising, burns or welts without a convincing explanation
• not wanting to go home
• appearing to be scared of a parent or carer
• being hungry and begging for, stealing or hoarding food
• poor hygiene
• missing a lot of school
• harming themselves, animals or property

Read more about how to recognise signs of abuse in children.

What should I do if I suspect a child is being abused?

You should report suspected child abuse to the relevant authority in your state or territory, even if you are not certain it's happening. The child protection authorities will listen to your concerns and decide whether they need to look into the case further.

If you are very worried about a child, it's best to report it by phone, not online.

People in some occupations are legally required to report suspected cases of child abuse. The most common occupations are teachers, early childhood educators, doctors, nurses and police officers.

What should I do if a child tells me they have been abused?

If a child tells you that they have been abused, it's very important to make it clear that you believe them. Show them your support and help them feel safe. Stay calm and listen while they tell you what happened.

Remember, it's not your role to investigate the abuse, so don't press the child for information or confront the abuser.

Tell the child that you're going to share what they've told you with people who can help keep them safe. Contact your state or territory child protection authority, and report what you know.

Learn more about how to respond to the child and show your support. The ability of the child to seek further help and recover from the trauma can be greatly influenced by your response. Some important messages they need to hear from you include:

• “I believe you.”
• “You are brave for telling me about this.”
• “I want to help you be safe.”
• “What is happening is NOT okay.”
• “It's not your fault.”
• “You're not alone and I will support you.”
• “You've done the right thing telling me.”

Reporting abuse or neglect

Contact the authority in your state or territory to report suspected abuse or neglect:

• Australian Capital Territory — Office for Children, Youth and Family Support
• New South Wales — Family and Community Services (FaCS - formerly DoCS)
• Northern Territory — Territory Families
• Queensland — Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs
• South Australia — Department of Child Protection
• Tasmania — Department of Health and Human Services
• Victoria — Department of Human Services
• Western Australia — Department for Child Protection and Family Support

For detailed information on how to report child abuse and neglect, read more on the Child Family Community Australia.

Resources and support

If you believe a child is in immediate danger or in a life-threatening situation, call triple zero (000).

If you have hurt your child in the past, or feel like you might hurt them, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

If you are an adult who experienced abuse as a child, contact Blue Knot on 1300 657 380.

If you are a child, teen or young adult who needs help and support, call the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

If you are a young person (12 to 25 years) who needs support on mental health:

• call headspace on 1800 650 890 or chat online — support is also available to parents and carers
• contact Youth BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636 or online
• chat online with ReachOut

You can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.