ILLINOIS LAW FIRM FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

Child Abuse and Negligence

Children require love and attention to grow and develop into healthy adults, as without both they can suffer from lasting emotional and/or physical results for the rest of their lives. There is no excuse for abusing a child. Ever. Unfortunately, too many kids become victims of child abuse or neglect and live in a constant state of terror.

A child’s life can quickly become a never-ending nightmare if they are victims of physical, emotional, sexual, or neglectful abuse in their home. In Illinois and most states, if a social services agency receives a report of child abuse or child neglect, they are supposed to launch an investigation and determine whether or not the child should be removed from that home.

Unfortunately, children who should be removed from abusive or neglectful homes do not always get taken from those dangerous environments. As a result of the agency’s negligence, the child suffers a severe injury ─ or in some tragic cases ─ death. That kind of reckless disregard for the health and well-being of a child is unacceptable.

Types of Child Abuse or Neglect:

  • Physical Abuse
    • Striking, kicking, or shaking a child
    • Burning or scalding a child
    • Throwing objects at a child
    • Holding a child underwater
  • Emotional/Psychological Abuse
    • Constant criticism of a child
    • Belittling a child
    • Making threats of punishment or physical harm
    • Withholding love, support, or guidance
  • Sexual Abuse
    • Sexual intercourse
    • Fondling
    • Indecent exposure in front of a child
    • Forcing a child to undress
    • Showing a child pornography
    • Talking about sex with a child
  • Physical Neglect
    • Child left unsupervised
    • Child left home alone by parents
    • Child not feed enough food
    • Parents regularly kicking child out of house
  • Emotional and Psychological Neglect
    • Not giving child enough attention
    • Withholding affection from child
    • Parents being verbally abusive with child
    • Verbally threatening a child
    • Routinely ignoring child
    • Child not registered for school or attending school
  • Medical Neglect
    • Not getting regular medical checkups
    • Not giving child medications prescribed by doctor
    • Poor dental hygiene due to lack of dental care

Facts about Child Abuse and Negligence

Our experienced child abuse attorneys know how the system is supposed to work. Social services agencies are expected to remove abused and neglected children from dangerous homes and help them get placed in foster care before they are severely injured or killed. Unfortunately, the system is flawed and often fails. That is when the experience of a Chicago child abuse lawyer is needed to demand justice.

The child abuse lawyers from Deratany & Kosner can work tirelessly to hold social services accountable for their negligence.

Child Abuse Awareness: 30% Around 30% of abused and neglected children will later continue the cycle of abuse; Children who experience child abuse and neglect, are around 9x more likely to become involved in criminal activity; 45.4% of children who die from child abuse are less than a year old; 5 children die daily from child abuse; Foster children are 10x more likely to be abused than children among the general population. https://americanspcc.org/child-abuse-statistics/ Timothy W. Maier, "Suffer the Children," Insight on the News, (November 24, 1997) DERATANY & KOSNER.
SIGNS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT BEHAVIORAL CLUES • infants excessive crying or developmental delay fear, anxiety, clinging • sexualized behavior seems afraid of parent eating issues • depression, passivity • increased verbal abuse or physically aggressive behavior with others destroys or injures objects or pets symptoms of PTSD , avoidance of undressing • withdrawal to touch. (For a more detailed list, visit https://childabuse.stanford.edu/screening/signs.html)
SIGNS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT PHYSICAL CLUES poor hygiene dressed inappropriately for weather failure to thrive, poor weight gain, malnutrition • lack of care of medical needs; wound care, medication trauma to ear lacerations traumatic hair loss I. Ill facial injuries without good explanation unexplained symptoms - look for poisoning, forced ingestion of water, salt (Munchausen by proxy). (For a more detailed list, visit https://childabuse.stanford.edu/screening/signs.html)

If you or a loved one has been hurt as a result of child abuse, you have rights. Contact Deratany & Kosner to learn more about what an attorney can do for you. Call us at 312-857-7285 for a free case consultation.

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