Immediately, it might be argued that any child is vulnerable to abuse because by their nature, a child’s age makes them more susceptible to being taken advantage of than most adults. However, there are some groups of children who, for various reasons, will be more likely to be abused than others.
It is important to keep in mind when referring to vulnerability to child abuse that a risk factor it just that – a risk only. Children may face one or more risk factors but this does not mean that it is inevitable that they will become a victim of abuse, as this is not the case at all.
What a risk factor does mean though is that a child who does have one or more of them should be closely monitored and, wherever possible, enabled and encouraged to speak up about their difficulties as enabling children to communicate more freely means that should an instance of abuse occur, they may be more confident to report what is happening to them.
Some of the risk factors that make children more susceptible to abuse include:
- Disability
- Has a parent who has substance or alcohol misuse issues
- Isolation: children who are isolated, perhaps due to disability or mental health difficulties are more susceptible to abuse as they have less opportunity to report abuse.
- Lives in a household where there is domestic abuse
- Age
Neglect is a form of child abuse but it appears that there are specific risk factors which increase a child’s likelihood of experiencing neglect, which include:
Poverty
Lack of support
Living in a difficult environment- where there is deprivation and high rates of crime in the local area. It is known that children who live in deprived areas have a greater chance of abuse and of being subject to a child protection plan or being taken into care.
