CaseStudiestoassesschildprotectionneeds.pdf

Worksheet 4 : Case Studies to assess child protection needs

Case Study : Clive
Age: 7 years old

Clive has been brought to you by his teacher.

Clive seems to literally be “carrying the world on his shoulders”. His handsome little face seemed to be
pondering why an adult actually wants to talk with him. He resides with his sister, brother-in-law and
their two children.
He appeared to be a very smart child and has some faded marks on his hands and legs, clear indications
of beatings he had suffered over a period of time. He is unkempt. At seven years old Clive still wears
pampers. His teacher indicated that he has problems retaining his faeces, which she speculated could be
a result of abuse.
When asked questions about sharing any bad thing that he has ever experienced he readily responds
“my big sister does beat me nearly every day. Day before yesterday I get licks on my belly and me foot.
She does beat me with shoes, slippers, belt, whip anything. A time she pelt me with a big brick and
burst me head then she put antibiotic on it. I does got to wash my clothes, clean de concrete, fetch
water and sweep de yard.” “Everybody does beat me even me lil nephew, he is two. My mother does
beat me too when she come. She burst me mouth already, and a time she black and blue me face. Me
brother-in-law does beat me for everything. He does beat me with rope, wire and big wood. I ent like
no body in my house; only my lil niece, she is five she don’t beat me, she does play with me and she
does cry when anybody knock me.

1. What are the forms of abuse in this case?
2. What are the needs of Clive from the Assessment Framework which have to be addressed in

this case?
3. For each need identified in 2 above, how would you seek to address the needs?

Case Study : Ram
Age : 14 years old

Ram drank poison and was found by his grandmother. He has been brought to your hospital for
treatment. The antidote has been applied.

Ram’s grandmother is 67 years old and she says that Ram lives with his mother and father. Ram’s father
drinks alcohol and when he is drunk, he beats Ram’s mother. Ram has tried to stop his father from
beating his mother. Ram’s mother has been calling Ram a “no good” and tells him that he is like his
father since Ram prefers not to go to school and to go out with his friends.

Ram does not like school because the teachers call him a dunce. He does not have money for clothes
and sometimes he is hungry. His mother has two younger children and Ram. Ram says that his mother
only looks after the younger children and not him.

Ram stays out of the house because he says ‘I aint able wid no cuss up and fret up’.

Ram drank poison because his mother accused him of stealing some money. He says he did not steal
the money and he might as well be dead.

1. What are the forms of abuse in this case?
2. What are the needs of Ram from the Assessment Framework which have to be addressed in this

case?
3. For each need identified in 2 above, how would you seek to address the needs?

Case Study : Bianca
Age : 12 years old

Bianca is referred to you one night after she drank a tablet to have a miscarriage.

Bianca is 12 years old and lives with her stepfather, mother and several other people in the house.
Bianca tells you that her stepfather has been climbing in her bed with her in the nights when her
stepmother is at work. Her stepfather tells her that she makes him feel good and buys things for her.
Her stepfather does not beat her, but her mother beats her a lot.

Bianca knows that something is wrong. Her mother found out she is pregnant and beat her and called
her a whore several times. Her mother then told her to drink the tablet. Bianca drank the tablet and did
not know why she was drinking it. When she started bleeding, she told her mother who then brought
her to the hospital.

Her mother is standing outside of the room. Bianca does not want any more problems. She is suffering
from pain. She also has exams to write soon. Bianca is not talking to the nurses and she does not want
to see her mother. She does not want to go to the police.

1. What are the forms of abuse in this case?
2. What are the needs of Bianca from the Assessment Framework which have to be addressed in

this case?
3. For each need identified in 2 above, how would you seek to address the needs?