Can children and young people recognise abuse and neglect?
In the short video below, Jeanette Cossar explains the recognition part of the iCAN wheel.
Recognition relates to whether a child realises that a situation is abusive.
The outer circle of the framework indicates that a child may move along a spectrum from not recognising to clearly recognising that a situation is abusive or neglectful. Recognition may develop as a child grows older and is able to take a broader perspective and compare their own situation with that of others.
Partial recognition can involve emotional awareness that things are not right before a child can articulate it to themselves or to others.
Recognition often occurs as a result of interacting and talking to others. Clear recognition therefore does not necessarily happen before telling or getting help. Sometimes a child does not recognise that what happened was abuse until years later.
No Recognition
- A child may not recognise or accept that their experience is abuse
- A child may not agree with what others define as abuse
Partial Recognition
- Sometimes a child can feel uncomfortable about a situation before they are able to clearly see that it is not right
- A child may be uncertain whether the problem is serious enough to tell someone else about
Clear Recognition
- A child may fully understand an incident or experience as wrong
- Sometimes sexual and physical abuse may be easier for children to recognise than emotional abuse or neglect
