Areas of concern

• child has been abandoned.

• child's parents are dead
• child's parents are incapacitated.

Type of harm

• likelihood of physical harm
• bites
• bone fracture
• brain damage
• bruise (visible)
• burns/scalding
• cut
• female genital mutilation
• female genital mutilation - likelihood
• haematoma
• head injury
• internal injuries
• paralysis
• poisoning
• red mark
• sprain/dislocation
• welt
• other physical injury.

Actions leading to harm

• attempted drowning
• attempted suffocation or strangulation
• family violence - risk of or actual physical injury
• forced marriage - risk of or actual physical injury
• hit with an object
• inappropriate discipline
• kicked
• mutilation
• pulled
• punched
• severe inappropriate discipline
• shaking
• struck with hand
• taken to conflict zone
• thrown
• torture
• tying or close confinement
• other action leading to injury.

Type of harm

• likelihood of sexual abuse
• contact with registered sex offender
• developmentally inappropriate sexual activity
• fondling
• promiscuity
• sexual harassment
• sexual molestation
• sexual offending (by child)
• sexual penetration
• sexual violence towards other
• sexually transmitted disease
• unsafe or dangerous to self sexual activity
• other form of sexual abuse.

Actions leading to harm

• commercial sexual exploitation including prostitution
• exposure to pornography
• exposure to sexual activity
• forced marriage - risk of or actual sexual activity
• grooming behaviour towards child
• inappropriate sexual behaviour by child towards a child of similar or older age or adult
• inappropriate sexual behaviour by child towards a younger child
• incest
• involving child in masturbation
• sexual exploitation
• sexual harassment
• sexual offending
• sexual penetration of a child under 10 years
• sexual penetration of a child under 16 years
• taken to conflict zone
• other sexually abusive action.

Type of harm

• likelihood of significant emotional harm
• absconding
• aggressive behaviours
• bed wetting
• depression
• disorganised or insecure attachment to primary carer
• eating disturbance
• educational development or learning impaired or delayed
• emotional or behavioural development impaired or delayed
• emotional trauma
• feeling anxious
• feeling fearful
• feeling ostracised
• feeling rejected
• feeling scapegoated
• feeling unsafe
• fire lighting
• frozen watchfulness
• hurting animals
• impulsive behaviours
• indiscriminate attachment behaviour
• high risk activities
• lowered self esteem
• mood or personality change
• negative or limited activities or interests
• not attending or not engaged with kindergarten or school
• post traumatic symptoms
• radicalising towards violent extremism
• regressive behaviour
• self blame
• self harm
• self hatred
• sense of future distorted or impacted upon
• shame regarding sexual abuse
• sleep disturbance
• social development or presentation impaired or delayed
• social isolation
• soiling
• substance abuse (child)
• suicidal action
• suicidal ideation
• trust issues
• unspecified reported history of abuse or neglect
• violent behaviours
• withdrawn
• other concerning acting out behaviour
• other somatic symptoms of emotional trauma
• other emotional or psychological harm.

Actions leading to harm

• alleged perpetrator has access to child
• coercion/manipulation
• chaotic family lifestyle
• excessive blaming of child
• excessive criticism of child
• exposure to violent extremist ideology
• exposure to parental mental illness
• exposure to parental substance abuse – emotional or psychological impact
• family violence – emotional or psychological impact
• forced marriage
• fragmented family
• humiliation of child
• involving child in criminal behaviour
• involving child in violent behaviour
• lack of adequate education
• lack of attachment with child
• low warmth
• parental low self esteem
• physically abusive behaviour towards child
• primarily negative interactions with child
• rejection of child
• scapegoating of child
• sexually abusive behaviour towards child
• taken to conflict zone
• threats to child
• threats to kill a child
• unreasonable or unrealistic expectations of child
• unresponsiveness to child’s emotional needs
• verbal abuse of child
• other action leading to emotional or psychological harm.

Type of harm

• likelihood of significant harm due to absence of basic care
• born drug dependent
• dehydrated
• educational delay
• failure to thrive
• foetal alcohol syndrome or related condition
• homelessness
• hypothermia
• impaired or delayed physical development
• inadequate personal hygiene
• induced or fabricated illness
• lack of adequate clothing
• lack of adequate food / fluids
• lack of adequate shelter
• malnutrition
• pre-natal or post natal exposure to psychoactive drugs or alcohol
• substance misuse on child
• untreated medical needs
• other harm to physical development or health.

Actions leading to harm

• deliberate or callous exposure to heat or cold
• exposure to parental mental illness
• exposure to parental substance abuse
• failure to ensure appropriate access to medical care or treatment
• failure to ensure safety
• failure to prioritise child's needs over own
• failure to protect from harm or danger
• failure to provide adequate clothing
• failure to provide adequate food or fluids
• failure to provide adequate shelter
• failure to provide adequate supervision
• failure to provide basic care
• family violence - physical development or health impact
• forced marriage
• poor understanding of infant or child physical or health needs
• taken to conflict zone
• other action leading to harm to physical development or health.

Issues

• alcohol abuse
• criminal offending (other than sexual offending)
• family isolated
• family violence
• financial difficulties
• history of abuse or neglect as child
• intellectual disability
• non-biological parent as carer
• other child died in parents care
• other child removed from parent
• physical or sensory disability
• poor parenting skills or knowledge
• poor physical health
• poor understanding of infant or child needs
• psychiatric illness or psychological disturbance
• sexual offending
• substance abuse
• transient or homeless
• views concerns less seriously than child protection
• violent extremism
• young parent(s) – under 20 years at time of birth of first child.

Actions leading to harm

• attitude to child inappropriate
• difficulty with ensuring safety of child
• difficulty with exhibiting warmth and affection to child
• difficulty with problem solving
• difficulty with providing basic care for child
• difficulty with providing consistency and reliability
• difficulty with providing guidance and boundaries for child
• difficulty with providing stability
• difficulty with providing stimulation for child
• exposing child to violent extremism
• previous parenting issues
• taking child to conflict zone
• other parenting issue.

Cumulative harm refers to the effects of multiple adverse or harmful circumstances and events in a child’s life. The unremitting daily impact of these experiences on the child can be profound and exponential, and diminish a child’s sense of safety and wellbeing. For further guidance, see Cumulative harm.

• inappropriate sexual behaviour by child towards a younger child
• inappropriate sexual behaviour by child towards a child of similar or older age or adult
• sexual offending.

Cumulative harm