As someone working with children, it’s important to be able to spot the signs of struggle and abuse. Working with younger and SEN students can make this a lot more difficult as they will be less likely to verbally express themselves. Safeguarding is our number one priority and as an APSCo Compliance+ accredited company we have all of our school staff do accredited Safeguarding and Prevent training to ensure their knowledge is up-to-date. With the above said, hopefully, this blog can serve as a reminder. 

Our list of signs can hopefully help you determine what students need help.

For the majority of students, struggling in class may look like putting their hand up or asking to speak to you after class. However, other signs you may want to look out for are:

• Refusing to go to school

• Putting their head on the desk and sleeping

• Becoming angry in your class and causing disruption

• Destroying any work they’ve attempted

• Becoming withdrawn

The problem with these signs is that they can be interpreted as behavioural issues instead of a sign of struggle and a pupil may not get the help they need. As school staff, the well-being of students should be one of your top priorities so being able to detect mental health concerns.

Struggling emotionally or with mental health

• A sudden change in behaviour(i.e. withdrawal or increased aggression)

• Anxiety

• Symptoms of depression

• Erratic behaviour

• Increased difficulties in friendship groups

Triggered by trauma 

• Difficulty around eating and their relationship with food

• Overly clingy

• Irritable or angry and difficult to soothe

• Sexualised behaviour

• Sadness and depression

A child with safeguarding issues

Emotional - unconfident or lack of self-assurance, difficulty making or maintaining relationships, acting in a way that isn’t suitable for their age, self-harm, struggling to control their emotions.

Physical - broken bones, bite marks, scratches, burns

Sexual - Eating disorders, post-traumatic stress, self-harm, pregnancy, STIs, feeling of shame or guilt, drug and alcohol problems, relationship problems

Signs of neglect

• Poor Hygiene and hygiene - hungry, smelly, difficulty using menstrual products, poorly dressed for weather conditions

• Developmental problems - medical or health issues, skin conditions, weight or growth issues.

• Housing and family issues - being left alone, taking the role of adults or siblings, no heating at home, unsustainable living conditions

Many of our schools are adopting Skodel, a fun and easy to use mental health and well-being platform. This can be helpful as you don’t have to rely on visual cues and students can report how their feeling on a weekly basis. Find out more about Skodel here.

During the pandemic levels of abuse, loneliness and poor mental health increased and we are still experiencing the effects of lockdown to this day. This means that life in the classroom may be a little different so getting to know the signs of potential struggle is as important as ever.