Recognizing Child Maltreatment

By VeriScorePrep Team · 5 min

Recognizing maltreatment begins with suspicion, not certainty. Nurses and mandated reporters act on reasonable concern, not proof.

Physical signs

• Injuries inconsistent with the stated history or the child's developmental stage.
• Bruises on non-bony areas (ears, neck, abdomen, inner thighs, buttocks); bruises in non-mobile infants.
• Patterned injuries (belt buckle, hand prints, bite marks).
• Burns: immersion patterns, cigarette burns, stockinette burns.
• Fractures in differing stages of healing; rib or metaphyseal fractures in young infants.
• Failure to thrive without organic cause.

Behavioral signs

Withdrawal, aggression, hypervigilance, flinching, reluctance to go home, sexualized behavior inappropriate for age, regression in toileting or speech.

Documentation

Document objectively: what you observe and what the child and caregiver said, using quotes. Use body maps. Do not include opinions or accusations.

Reporting

Nurses are mandated reporters in every U.S. state. You do not need proof — only reasonable suspicion. Report to child protective services promptly, and follow up to confirm the report was received.