Sometimes, a single traumatic event may constitute Significant Harm. Evidence of sadism, and bizarre or unusual elements in child sexual abuse.Įach of these elements has been associated with more severe effects on the child, and/or relatively greater difficulty in helping the child overcome the adverse impact of the ill-treatment.The duration and frequency of abuse or neglect.The degree and extent of physical harm. Consideration of the severity of ill-treatment may include: There are no absolute criteria on which to rely when judging what constitutes Significant Harm. *The Adoption and Children Act 2002 broadens the definition of Significant Harm to include the emotional harm suffered by those children who witness domestic violence or are aware of domestic violence within their home environment. Ill-treatment includes sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment which are not physical.Health means physical or mental health.Development means physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development.Harm means ill-treatment or impairment of health or development including for example impairment suffered from seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another *.Under Section 31(9) of the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Adoption and Children Act 2002: The harm or likelihood of harm is attributable to a lack of adequate parental care or control.The child is suffering or is likely to suffer Significant Harm.Under Section 31 of the Children Act 1989 a court may only make a Care Order (committing the child to the care of the local authority) or Supervision Order (putting the child under the supervision of a social worker, or a probation officer) in respect of a child if it is satisfied that: the enquiries shall be commenced as soon as practicable and, in any event, within 48 hours of the authority receiving the information.' have reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in the area and is suffering, or is likely to suffer, Significant Harm, the authority shall make, such enquiries as they consider necessary to enable them to decide whether they should take any action to safeguard or promote the child's welfare. Section 47(1) of the Children Act 1989 states that: The Children Act 1989 introduced the concept of Significant Harm as the threshold that justifies compulsory intervention in family life in the best interests of children. This chapter was updated in August 2014 to reflect more accurately the 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' definitions in Section 2, Categories of Abuse and Neglect.
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