Page 6 — What To Do If A Child Shows Unexplained Bruising Or Sudden Fear
If you take one thing from this story, take this:
Trust the pattern, not the performance.
Harm often hides behind “reasonable explanations” and “good public behavior.”
Here are practical steps that can make a real difference:
- Stay calm in front of the child. Panic can make them shut down. Your job is safety, not interrogation.
- Use simple, open questions. “Can you tell me what happened?” not “Did he do this?”
- Document what you see. Note dates, symptoms, changes in sleep, school concerns, and any visible marks. Keep it factual.
- Get to a safe place first. If you suspect someone in the home, don’t “talk it out” at home. Remove the child from proximity.
- Contact professionals immediately. Police, child-protection services, or a child advocacy center can guide next steps safely.
- Don’t confront the suspected person alone. Confrontation can escalate risk and destroy evidence.
When to seek urgent help right away:
- Unexplained bruises, marks, or injuries—especially recurring or worsening
- Sudden fear of a specific person or place
- Sleep disruption, nightmares, or extreme fatigue without a clear medical reason
- Threats, stalking, coercion, or any mention of “If I tell, something bad will happen”
- Any immediate danger at home
Emma and I moved. Smaller place. Different routine. More safety than space.
Therapy helped—not overnight, not magically, but steadily.
She started sleeping again. The exhaustion eased. The light in her face slowly came back.
Months later, she handed me a small box with a drawing inside: the two of us holding hands.
Above my head, she wrote: My Hero.
I corrected her gently, because it mattered.
“No, sweetheart,” I told her. “You’re the hero. You saved us both.”
