Module 2: Physical Abuse assessment

Put simply, the guidance is intended to help people distinguish between accidental and Fill in the blank 1 of 3 physical injuries and illnesses which may happen to children. It is important to consider the physical signs as part of the Fill in the blank 2 of 3 picture of the child and their circumstances, and not in isolation. That said, if people are concerned about a child’s physical injury or illness, they need to Fill in the blank 3 of 3 it.

Fill in the blank 1 of 1 may be a sign of physical abuse.

Defensive wounds on the forearm, upper arm, back of the hands, legs or feet, are indicative of Fill in the blank 1 of 1 bruising.

The new name for Munchausen’s by proxy is fFill in the blank 1 of 2 or iFill in the blank 2 of 2 Illness.

Abusive bruising patterns take a number of forms – for example, they may be in the shape of a Fill in the blank 1 of 4 or an object; there may be dots of Fill in the blank 2 of 4 under the skin or they may appear as clusters on the upper arm, outside of the thigh or on the body. They are commonly found on the Fill in the blank 3 of 4 areas of the body such as the tummy, back and bottom, as well as the head, ears and neck. The back and the neck are also the areas where intentional Fill in the blank 4 of 4 from cigarettes or other heated objects like hair straighteners, are sometimes found.