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Children who are physically abused may:
Be watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen.
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Be nervous around adults.
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Have difficulty playing.
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Act aggressively towards adults and other children.
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Be unable to concentrate at school.
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Suddenly underachieve, or overachieve, at school.
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Find it difficult to trust other people and make friends.
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Arrive at school too early, or leave after the other children.
Children who are sexually abused may:
Behave differently when the abuse starts.
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Care less about their appearance, or their health.
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Talk or act sexually at too early of an age.
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Be secretive and stop talking about home-life.
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Start soiling themselves.
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Be unable to sleep.
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Suddenly find physical contact frightening.
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Run away from home.
Children who are neglected or emotionally abused may:
Have difficultly learning to talk.
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Find it hard to develop close relationships.
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Be overly friendly with strangers.
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Be unable to play imaginatively.
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Think badly of themselves.
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Underachieve at school.
Remember: None of these signs prove that child abuse is present, since any of them may be noticeable at one time or another. But when they occur repeatedly or in combination with one another, the child may be suffering abuse.
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