Treatment

Treatment can help both children and parents in abuse situations. The first priority is ensuring the safety and protection for children who have been abused. Ongoing treatment focuses on preventing future abuse and reducing the long-term psychological and physical consequences of abuse.

Medical care

If necessary, help the child seek appropriate medical care. Seek immediate medical attention if a child has signs of an injury or a change in consciousness. Follow-up care with a doctor or other health care provider may be required.

Psychotherapy

Talking with a mental health professional can:

• Help a child who has been abused learn to trust again
• Teach a child about normal behavior and relationships
• Teach a child conflict management and boost self-esteem

Several different types of therapy may be effective, such as:

• Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy helps a child who has been abused to better manage distressing feelings and to deal with trauma-related memories. Eventually, the supportive parent who has not abused the child and the child are seen together so the child can tell the parent exactly what happened.
• Child-parent psychotherapy. This treatment focuses on improving the parent-child relationship and on building a stronger attachment between the two.

Psychotherapy also can help parents:

• Discover the roots of abuse
• Learn effective ways to cope with life's inevitable frustrations
• Learn healthy parenting strategies

If the child is still in the home, social services may schedule home visits and make sure essential needs, such as food, are available. Children who are placed in foster care because their home situation is too dangerous will often need mental health services and therapies.

Places to turn for help

If you need help because you're at risk of abusing a child or you think someone else has abused or neglected a child, there are organizations that can provide you with information and referrals, such as:

• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
• Prevent Child Abuse America: 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-244-5373)