Life Skills: Grade 5 Child Abuse

CHILD ABUSE

Abuse involves hurting another person, intentionally and deliberately. It is often an adult
hurting a child and this adult wants the child to keep the abuse a secret.

Key Concepts

Physical Abuse: This is when someone hits, kicks, scratches, shakes or

even burns someone else. Hair pulling, biting and chokingare also
physicalabuse. Physical abuse means when a person’s body is touched in
an unwanted or violent way.

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Emotional Abuse: This is when someone makes another personfeel bad or unhappy about
themself. It includes making someone feel unwelcome or unloved, ignoring them, not giving
them love, constantly criticizing them, teasing them, humiliating them or name calling,
amongst other things. Broadly speaking,it is when a person says or does something on a
regular basis and in secret, that makes the other person afraid or feel bad about themself.

Sexual Abuse: This is any sexual contact that is forced upon another person.

Effects of Abuse on Personal Health

Abuse is something that should not be happening.When something bad happens, a person’s
body will react to the event. If you, or anybody else, has been abused, some of the following
things could happen:

Your might:

 Have bruises and scars

 Have frequent infections
 Have chronic stomach aches
 Have frequent headaches
 Struggle to concentrate
 Be ill a lot of the time, even though the doctors can’t find out
why

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You might feel:

 Unhappy
 Tense
 That you can’t trust yourself
 That you are worthless
 Fearful
 Lonely

Abuse is never good for your health and can break down your body and mind completely.
The symptoms might last a very long time, if you do not get help as soon as possible.

How to Deal With Abuse

Abuse by an adult is never your fault.

Keep on telling someonewhat is happening, until someone believes and helps you.

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Life Skills: Grade 5 Child Abuse

You can also try and put a safety plan into place, as explained below:

1. Tell a trusted adult - a

parent/guardian/teacher/counsellor/doctor.

2. Say “no” in a way that shows you mean it. Be as loud as you
can be, scream “no” at the top of your lungs. Keep on
screaming.

3. Try to get away, even if it seems like you can’t. Try to keep moving.

4. Have a safe place that you can go to in case of an

emergency. This could be a friend’s or a relative’s house.

5. Keep a phone with you whenever possible. Keep

emergency numbers of people and places that can help
you in your phone.

6. If possible, avoid being near the abuser. Think of excuses

why you can’t go there and get help.

7. Keep track of any violence. Write down when and what

the person did. The people who will try to help you will
need this information.

8. Don’t ever keep secrets about the abuse, whether it is you

or a friend who is being abused. Never keep it a secret.

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Life Skills: Grade 5 Child Abuse

Where to Get Help and Report Abuse

If you are in trouble, you can call the following organisations:

 Your local police station 10111

 SAPS Family Violence, Child protection and Sexual Offences
Unit, Head Office 012 393 2363
 SAPS Crime Stop 08600 10111
 Go to the South African Police’s website:www.saps.gov.za
Click on “children’s corner” on the left hand side of your
screen. There is a lot of information concerning children’s
rights and how the police work.

For more numbers and websites go to the Live Life section on Help and Information:
http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/live-life/help-and-information

For further reading on these topics, follow these links:

Dealing with Violence:

http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/live-life/dealing-violence

Dealing with Being Touched:

http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/live-life/dealing-being-touched-5

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