The statistics on physical child abuse are alarming. It is estimated hundreds of thousands of children are physically abused each year by a parent or close relative. Thousands die. For those who survive, the emotional trauma remains long after the external bruises have healed. Communities and the courts recognize that these emotional hidden bruises can be treated. Early recognition and treatment is important to minimize the long-term effect of physical abuse. Whenever a child says he or she has been abused, it must be taken seriously and immediately evaluated.
Children who have been abused may display:

• A poor self image
• Sexual acting out
• Inability to trust or love others
• Aggressive, disruptive, and sometimes illegal behavior
• Anger and rage
• Self destructive or self abusive behavior, suicidal thoughts
• Passive, withdrawn or clingy behavior
• Fear of entering into new relationships or activities
• Anxiety and fears
• School problems or failure
• Feelings of sadness or other symptoms of depression
• Flashbacks, nightmares
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Sleep problems

Often the severe emotional damage to abused children does not surface until adolescence or later, when many abused children become abusing parents. An adult, who was abused as a child, often has trouble establishing intimate personal relationships. These men and women may have trouble with physical closeness, touching, intimacy, and trust as adults. They are also at higher risk for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, medical illness, and problems at school or work. Without proper treatment, physically abused children can be damaged for life.
Early identification and treatment is important to minimize the long-term consequences of abuse. Qualified mental health professionals should conduct a comprehensive evaluation and provide treatment for children who have been abused. Through treatment, the abused child begins to regain a sense of self-confidence and trust. The family can also be helped to learn new ways of support and communicating with one another. Parents may also benefit from support, parent training and anger management.
Physical abuse is not the only kind of child abuse. Many children are also victims of neglect, or sexual abuse, or emotional abuse. In all kinds of child abuse, the child and the family can benefit from evaluation and treatment from a qualified mental health professional.

Another type of child abuse:

Shaken Baby Syndrome:

Shaken baby syndrome is a serious and clearly definable form of child abuse. It results from extreme rotational cranial acceleration induced by violent shaking or shaking/impact, which would be easily recognizable by others as dangerous. More resources should be devoted to prevention of this and other forms of child abuse.  Shaken baby syndrome is a serious form of child maltreatment most often involving children younger than 2 years but may be seen in children up to 5 years old. It occurs commonly, yet may be misdiagnosed in its most subtle form and under diagnosed in its most serious form. Caretakers may misrepresent or claim to have no knowledge of the cause of the brain injury. Caretakers who are not responsible for the injuries may not know how they occurred. Externally visible injuries are often absent. Given possible difficulties in initially identifying an infant as having been abusively shaken and the variability of the syndrome itself, physicians must be extremely vigilant when dealing with any brain trauma in infants and be familiar with radio logic and clinical findings that support the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome.  

Here are a few symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome that have already been discovered:

• Head turned to one side.
• Unable to lift or turn head.
• Pinpointed, dilated, or unequal size pupils.
• Blood pooling in the eyes.
• Pupils unresponsive to light.
• Bulging or spongy forehead.
• No smiling or vocalization.
• Poor sucking or swallowing.
• Rigidity.
• Semi-consciousness, lethargy, or decreased muscle tone.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Seizures or spasms.
• Swollen head, which may appear later

Warning Signs of Injury of Shaken Baby Syndrome

• Poor Feeding / Eating
• Cardiopulmonary arrest.
• Vomiting.
• Failure to thrive
• Pale or blush skin.
• Irritability
• Seizures
• Lethargic
• Coma