What is child abuse

What is child abuse

Physical abuse: this includes being hit, kicked, shaken or punched, or given harmful drugs or alcohol.

Emotional abuse: this includes being called names all the time, being threatened or being made to feel small.

Sexual abuse: this includes being touched in a way you don't like by an adult or young person, being forced to have sex, or being made to look at sexual pictures or videos.

For some disabled children, it includes if a person helping them to use the toilet touched them more than was needed.

Neglect: is when a child is not looked after properly, including having no place to stay, or not enough food to eat, or clothes to keep them warm. It also includes if the child is not given medical care when they need it, including medication.

For some disabled children, it could include if their carer took away the things they needed for everyday life - like their wheelchair or communication board. Or if they did not help a disabled child who needed help using the toilet.

Bullying and racism are also forms of abuse.

Bullying includes hitting or threatening a child with violence, taking their things, calling them names or insulting them, making them do things they won't want to do, and deliberately humiliating or ignoring them.

Abuse is never your choice and never your fault

Abuse creates all sorts of confusing feelings and emotions, including feeling frightened, alone, confused, angry, unloved, guilty or ashamed. Often a child may not realise that what is making them feel so bad is really abuse. Or he or she may know it's abuse and is wrong, but feel that somehow it's their fault.

It is very important to remember that the abuse is not your choice and is not your fault.

For more advice on Bullying - click here

Child abuse in sport

Here are some things young people have told us about abuse they’ve experienced:

'.... that’s what hurt me most, that people knew it was happening and they all didn’t do anything about it, and when they had the chance to do something about it they still didn’t...'

'...even when you said 'no' he kept on at me, so eventually you just gave up and got it over with.'

'The coach has all the power over you, he decides what events you enter, what training you do, everything '