Crisis Services
ASERT does not offer crisis services through our Resource Center. If you or someone you love is experiencing mental health distress or thoughts of suicide please call or text 988 for support.
Be Safe: Signs of Abuse
Overview
This resource is part of the be safe collection and provides information regarding potential signs of abuse.
Physical Signs
- Injuries that cannot be explained (e.g., broken bones,burns, cuts, bruising, missing teeth)
- Pain from injuries or abrasions
- Bleeding in the genital or rectal areas
- Blood on sheets or underwear
- Yeast or bladder infections
- STDs or pregnancy
Increased Obedience
- More eager to please
More Fears
- Fear of going to school, going home, being in the dark, riding the bus, or certain people or places
- Stop wanting to be with someone in their life
Changes in school or daycare behavior
- Difficulty concentrating or less cooperative
- Younger kids – Stop playing and exploring
- Older kids – Skip school
Increase in sexual behaviors
- Sexual acting out
- Draw sexual pictures that do not fit developmental age
- Sexual aggression with others
Changes in mood
- More scared, anxious, upset, angry, depressed,aggressive
- More withdrawn or outgoing
- More destructive, angry, or easily upset(especially in nonverbal individuals)
Changes in communication
- Withdraw or communicate less, or communicatemore
- Draw violent art to communicate distress
Increased risk taking
- Experiment with drugs, alcohol, sex, self-abusive behaviors, or run away
Increased anger
- Younger children – more temper tantrums or crying
- All ages – More destructive of things
- Yelling, hitting, or throwing things
Changes in functioning
- Eat less or eat more
- Suddenly lose or gain weight
- Sleep more, sleep less, have nightmares, trouble going to sleep at night, scared to go to sleep
- Do not wash hair or body,wear same clothes over and over
- Refuse to take baths or take too many baths
- More headaches or stomachaches
- Suck thumb, wet the bed, act more clingy to parent or caregiver
Increase in intensity or frequency of self-stimulation, self-injurious, or repetitive behaviors, or development of new behaviors.
This information was developed by the Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training Collaborative (ASERT). For more information, please contact ASERT at 877-231-4244 or info@PAautism.org. ASERT is funded by the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations, PA Department of Human Services.