Keeping Kids Safe: Warning Signs to Watch For

By Kate Schultz, Director of Mental Health Services, and Bianca Gonzalez, Supervisor of Safe from the Start

Earlier this month, CAC CEO Melanie Pignotti wrote about the hidden risks for kids at holiday gatherings. As a follow-up to that column, CAC's Mental Health Services team created a list of potential flags that might alert adults if a child is being harmed or is at risk of being harmed. Whether it's things you notice because you don't normally see the child and something just seems off or it's because you know the child well and something just seems off, this list can help you identify risk factors and seek help for the child if needed. We know this is a hard topic, but if our goal is for all kids to have a happy holiday, it's important to be informed and keep kids healthy and safe.

Physical or Behavioral Flags

• Marks/bruises/cuts on parts of the body that wouldn’t otherwise have them because of play or sport activities

• New/intense fears about a certain person or place that they were previously okay with

• A child who is uncharacteristically aggressive

• A child who is uncharacteristically isolating themselves from the family/social supports

• Sudden regressive behaviors, such as bedwetting after being fully potty trained

• Unexplained changes in their behavior

Additional Emotional and Behavioral Flags

• Worry​

• Sadness​

• Isolation​

• Aggression towards peers and/or caregivers​

• Fearfulness​

• Regressive behaviors​

• Recurrent distressing memories and/or dreams of the traumatic event​

• Markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities​

• Problems with concentration​

• Destructive to property

Here’s the hard part: these could all be signs of something harmful going on. Or they could be signs of an unrelated issue. Just because a child seems worried or sad does not mean with absolute certainty that they have experienced or witnessed some type of abuse.

That said, CAC staff would encourage the following:

• Check-in with the child and ask if they’re doing okay or would like to talk

• Don’t pressure them into talking or asking them why they haven’t said something sooner if they do share an incident

• If you have serious concerns about the safety and well-being of a child, anyone can call the police or make an anonymous DCFS hotline call: 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873)

If a child happens to disclose to you that they have been the victim of or witness to abuse or violence:

• Stay calm

• Listen

• Validate their feelings

• Thank them for telling you

• Contact DCFS or your local police department

Do not:

• Make any promises

• Ask why they didn’t tell you sooner

• Ask for details

• Agree to keep it a secret

For questions or more resources, visit CAC's Community Outreach page.