At Unique Academy, we follow the guidance set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education, which defines abuse as:

“A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused by an adult or adults, or by another child or children.”

We recognise that any child can be at risk of harm or abuse. Abuse knows no boundaries — it can occur across all social, cultural, geographical, and faith backgrounds.

We also acknowledge that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) may be more vulnerable and face additional safeguarding challenges. It is therefore vital that all staff remain vigilant and sensitive to their individual needs.

Types of Abuse

There are four main categories of abuse:

1. Physical Abuse

2. Emotional Abuse

3. Sexual Abuse

4. Neglect

Physical abuse involves deliberately causing physical harm to a child. This may include actions such as hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or any other act that results in physical injury.

Physical harm may also occur when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of illness, or deliberately induces illness in a child. This is sometimes referred to as Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII).

All concerns regarding suspected physical abuse must be treated seriously and reported in line with the school’s safeguarding procedures.

Emotional abuse is the persistent maltreatment of a child that causes severe and long-lasting effects on their emotional development.

It may involve:

• Conveying to a child that they are worthless, unloved, inadequate, or valued only when meeting the needs of another.

• Failing to give the child the opportunity to express their views, deliberately silencing them, or mocking how they communicate.

• Placing developmentally inappropriate expectations on the child, such as pressuring them to behave beyond their age or ability, overprotection, or restricting their ability to explore and learn.

• Preventing normal social interaction or isolating the child from peers.

• Exposing the child to the abuse or ill-treatment of others.

• Serious and sustained bullying (including cyberbullying), which causes the child to feel frightened, humiliated, or in danger.

• Exploiting or corrupting the child emotionally or psychologically.

While emotional abuse may occur on its own, some level of emotional abuse is present in all other forms of child maltreatment.

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, regardless of whether the child is aware of what is happening. These activities may or may not involve physical contact and do not always include violence.

Sexual abuse can include:

• Contact abuse: such as assault by penetration (e.g. rape or oral sex), or non-penetrative acts like touching, kissing, rubbing, or masturbation.

• Non-contact abuse: such as encouraging a child to view or produce sexual images, watch sexual acts, engage in sexually inappropriate behaviour, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse. This may also occur online.

It is important to note that sexual abuse can be committed by individuals of any gender and may be perpetrated by adults or other children.

All concerns relating to possible sexual abuse must be treated with the utmost seriousness and reported immediately in accordance with safeguarding procedures.

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in serious harm to the child’s health or development.

Neglect can begin before birth, for example, due to maternal substance misuse during pregnancy.

After birth, neglect may involve a parent or carer consistently failing to:

• Provide adequate food, clothing, or shelter (this includes exclusion from the home or abandonment).

• Protect the child from physical and emotional harm or danger.

• Ensure proper supervision, including the use of suitable and safe caregivers.

• Provide access to appropriate medical care, treatment, or education.