Aussie Childcare Network Forum

hi

1. What type(s) of abuse or neglect do you think might be occurring?

my Answer: Emotional abuse

am i right with the answer?

thank you

Grace is a two year old girl who has recently enrolled in your service. She is an extremely quiet child who has no siblings at home. Her parents separated shortly before she started attending the service and you have yet to meet her father. As the weeks go by you attempt to draw Grace out of her shell, but she remains distant and withdrawn. Her favourite thing to do is to sit in book corner and leaf through the books. When you present her with play dough or toys, she merely stares at them blankly, as though she doesn’t know how to utilise a toy.
Grace has such a bad stutter when she talks that it is almost impossible to understand her. The only time that you see Grace exhibit any form of strong emotion is when the children raise their voices at each other. When this occurs she will cover her ears with her hands and cry uncontrollably.
You have noted that Grace doesn’t appear to have any separation anxiety from her mother, and shows no overt joy at her mother’s arrival to collect her in the afternoons. When you raise your concerns about Grace’s lack of social and play skills, Grace’s mother just shrugs her shoulders and says that she’s stupid. When Grace is in her mother’s presence she never speaks or makes eye contact with her.