When you feel like “something isn’t right” pay attention to that lonesome voice – it’s called intuition. True intuition is rarely wrong.
We were recently interviewed for an article on PI Feed to discuss what a child custody investigator did. The topic of Child Custody Investigations goes deep. On that article, we had so many questions left unanswered. The primary one is – how do you identify child abuse or negligence?
Child abuse, regardless of where it comes from, in what shape or form, or even who is the one neglecting or abusing the child – it has a very long-lasting effect on the child. According to the National Institutes of Health, victims of child abuse may be at increased risk of acting on suicide ideation. Most individuals who attempt suicide experienced child abuse, and worse health and social functioning. For that reason, and many others, our team takes child abuse custody cases extremely seriously.
It’s difficult to focus on the long list of child abuse signs and types, that’s why we’ll focus on the top signs.
Physical Signs: Bruises, Scrapes, Cuts, or Fractures.
These are probably the most obvious types of child abuse to identify. Bruises on their body with no legitimate cause or reason. Children will get bruised or cuts, that’s a fact of life, but some bodily harm doesn’t add up. A bruised knee is one thing – a bruised back, stomach, chest, or thigh is another.
Are they loosing weight? This is another type of physical abuse that many parents ignore.
If you notice a bruise on your child, ask them where and how it happened. Children are more honest than you think.
Emotional Signs: Mood Changes or Emotional Connection Changes.
While this one takes a bit more time to identify since you have to be very connected to your child’s emotions, feelings, and moods, this type of emotional abuse can manifest itself in several ways.
- Is your child showing signs of bullying in school?
- Are their grades dropping?
- Do they seem to be overly aggressive towards teachers or students?
- Are they changing their “outlook” on life?
- Do they pull away from hanging out with friends?
- Did they change from Extroverted tendencies to Introverted Tendencies?
- Are they unwashed or dirty?
These are some examples of what we mean by emotional / mood changes. Try to pay attention to these hidden signs of abuse.
Last, but certainly not least, pay attention to your child’s behavior towards a particular person. If they don’t want to be around a person, or they fear them, regardless of their family ties and relationship – don’t be afraid to question why.
But what if your child doesn’t communicate these signs? If that’s the case, try to pay attention to your children’s caretaker. Try to pay attention to their own behavior. While the signs of an abusive parent or caretaker is a topic for another day, some of the signs are:
- Abusive tendencies
- Tends to manipulate people
- Extremely short tempered
- Violent towards family, friends, and strangers
- Tries to control family visits
- Tries to intimidate family members
When you feel like “something isn’t right” pay attention to that lonesome voice – it’s called intuition. True intuition is rarely wrong.
If you feel your intuition is telling you something is wrong, consider contacting our agency and requesting a free 30-minute consultation. Our investigators can help you investigate complicated child custody cases – that’s our specialty. We will provide you with the evidence you’re looking for and will work as a witness in the court of law.
If you suspect abuse is taking place, trust us, time matters. Our team will conduct a discreet investigation. Depending on your circumstances, we can deploy a series of services – from surveillance, to background checks, interviews, and research. Call us at 844-403-2550 – ask for me directly – Ulises Perez – We can help.
