Child Abuse

page description

• Non-accidental infliction of injury or an act that poses substantial likelihood of bodily injury. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caregiver intended to hurt the child. Physical discipline, such as spanking, is not considered abuse as long as it is reasonable and causes no bodily injury to the child. ​
  

• Unexplained injuries.
• Bruises or other marks.
• Arrives early to school and stays late.
• Parent tells teachers to use harsh physical discipline if child misbehaves.
• Parent Offers conflicting, unconvincing, or no explanation for the child's injury, or provides an explanation that is not consistent with the injury.
• Unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes.
• Has fading bruises or other marks noticeable after an absence from school
• Child shrinks at the approach of adults, or is generally afraid of adults.
• Child is reluctant to be around a particular person or seems frightened.
• Child Discloses abuse;
• Parent Offers conflicting, unconvincing, or no explanation for the child's injury, or provides an explanation that is not consistent with the injury. ​
  

• The parent or caregiver demonstrates a pattern of criticizing, rejecting, insulting, isolating, terrorizing, or humiliating the child, resulting in serious emotional or behavioral issues.
  

​Indicators

• Overly compliant, passive, withdrawn.
  
• Extreme changes in behavior.
• Signs of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harming.
• Delays in developmental milestones.
• Parent uses rejecting, insulting or critical statements towards child;
• Parent uses humiliation or isolation tactics. 
  

• Physical neglect means the failure of the parent/caregiver to provide basic needs, for example food, clothing, shelter, medical care, supervision, and/or a safe and sanitary living environment for the child.
  

• Is frequently absent from school or comes to school unprepared, without supplies, lunch or lunch money.
• Begs or steals food or money.
• Lacks needed medical or dental care, immunizations, or glasses.
• Sleeping at school.
• Is consistently dirty and has severe body odor.
• Lacks sufficient clothing for the weather. 
• Children report parents are rarely home.
• Child acts mature for their age or provides supervision and care to younger siblings;
• Family home is physically unsafe which may include exposed wiring, lack or water or utilities, substantial amount of waste such as garbage, trash, human or animal waste. ​
  

• Abandonment means a child is without any appropriate caregiver due to the intentional act and decision of the parent not to care for the child. There is a clear demonstration that the parent/caretaker does not intend to resume parental responsibiliti​es for the child.
  

​Indicators

• Parent has left children with someone who cannot meet the children's needs and has not returned.
• Parent has kicked the child out of the home and refuses to let the child return and has not arranged for an alternative caregiver. 
  

• The failure of the parent or caregiver to access an appropriate educational program and assure regular attendance for a child age 6 or older, but younger than age 13, unless the parent or caregiver has complied with one of the exceptions listed in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-201​
  

• Child is falling behind in school.
• Child is frequently late for school or has unexcused absences.​
  

• Domestic violence as neglect means the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through the use of violence and other forms of abuse and the children have been present or effected by the domestic violence
  

• Child is physically present in the home when an injury to the adult has occurred.
• The child has intervened.
• The child has called for help and/or the child is fearful.
• Weapons have been used, or items have been used as weapons in the incident;
• The child demonstrates a pattern of emotional or behavioral response to domestic violence in the home. ​
  

• Parent's use of substances is affecting their ability to parent and provide for the needs of their children. Substance use alone does not indicate abuse or neglect
  

• Lack of caregiver available to meet needs.
• Child acts mature for their age or provides supervision and care to younger.
• Lack of hygiene, food, or other basic needs not being met.
• Violence in the home and may display violence in other settings.
• Child withdrawn from peers;
• Injury due to lack of supervision.​
  

• Sexual abuse means any sexually oriented act, practice, contact, or interaction in which the child is or has been used for the sexual stimulation of a parent, child, vulnerable adult, or another person.
  

• Has difficulty walking or sitting.
• Suddenly refuses to change for gym or to participate in physical activities.
• Reports nightmares or bedwetting.
• Experiences a sudden change in appetite.
• Demonstrates bizarre, sophisticated, or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior.
• Becomes pregnant or contracts a venereal disease, particularly if under age 14.
• Goes missing.
• Reports sexual abuse by a parent or another adult caregiver;
• Attaches very quickly to strangers or new adults in their environment.​
  

• Includes, but is not limited to, any person causing, allowing, permitting, inflicting, or encouraging a child to engage in voyeurism, exhibitionism, or sexual acts in exchange for something; or in the production, distribution, or acquisition of pornographic photographs, films, or depiction of the child.
  

• Has difficulty walking or sitting.
• Suddenly refuses to change for gym or to participate in physical activities.
• Reports nightmares or bedwetting.
• Experiences a sudden change in appetite
• Demonstrates bizarre, sophisticated, or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior.
• Becomes pregnant or contracts a venereal disease, particularly if under age 14.
• Goes missing. 
• Reports sexual abuse by a parent or another adult caregiver;
• Attaches very quickly to strangers or new adults in their environment​.
  

Definitions

• Labor trafficking is trying to force a minor to provide labor or services by: physically harming or restraining the victim (or threatening to do so); threatening to have the victim arrested or deported; controlling the victim's access to drugs; exploiting a victim's functional or mental impairment; and claiming the victim cannot leave a job because of a real or imagined debt.
  

• Chronic missing/homeless youth.
• Inconsistencies when describing and recounting events.
• Sexually explicit profiles on social networking sites.
• Demeanor exhibiting fear, anxiety, depression, submissiveness, tenseness, nervousness.
• Is not enrolled in school or repeated absence from school.
• Family relationships not clear (may or may not present as formal guardian).
• Child is fearful of family he/she lives with
• Does not have access to their personal identification documents (e.g., ID card, social security card, driver's license);
• For additional information please see DHHS Human Trafficking Site .

• Dependency occurs when no child maltreatment has been identified however the parent or caregiver is, or will be unable to care for the child through no fault of the parent or caregiver.
• Nebraska's Safe Haven law can be found at NRS 43-4903. An individual cannot be criminally prosecuted solely based on the act of leaving a child who is up to 90 days old, in the custody  of an employee on duty at: (a) A hospital licensed by the State of Nebraska; (b) a staffed fire station; (c) a staffed law enforcement agency; or (d) an emergency care provider. A Juvenile Court Case can be opened. 
  

• Parent has their own physical or mental health needs preventing from properly providing for the child.
• Child has no caregiver due to death, incarceration, hospitalization, or lack of supports.
• Child's physical or mental health needs are beyond ability of caregiver or community based services.
  

​​Family Information

• Provide as much information as you can about the alleged victim(s)—the child(ren)—and the people in their household.
• Give the Hotline Worker the address, if you can.
• It helps if you can provide first and last names of the child(ren), their ages (or birthdates) and the school(s) they attend, if you know.
• It helps if you can name anyone else who lives in the home with the child(ren)—parent(s), step-parent(s), grandparent(s), aunts or uncles or other adults--and provide their age(s) and phone number(s).
• If you know them, provide the full name(s) and address(es) of any non-custodial parent(s).

The concerns you have

• Describe what is going on and what you are concerned about.
• Describe how the children are unsafe.
• Describe the specific incident(s) you are concerned about, with as much detail as possible:
• Where it happened.
• When it happened.
• Who was there.
• Describe any signs of physical abuse such as marks or bruises.
• Describe any illegal drug use or misuse of prescription drugs and how it makes the child(ren) unsafe.
• If there is domestic violence occurring between the adults, describe if there has been an injury as a result of the domestic violence.
• Describe how the children have been effected.