Tauranga residents are being urged to speak up if they know or suspect a child is being abused.

Tauranga Hospital Clinician Vivienne Hobbs says most weeks she sees a few children come to the hospital with signs of child abuse.

She says the typical signs of child abuse are unexplained injuries such as bruises, welts and cuts, 'especially if they are in unusual places or if they suspicious shape, ie slap mark from hand”.

Vivienne is saddened when a child is unable to live life to their full potential due to abuse.

'I certainly see a lot of children whose lives have been ruined as a result of abuse.

'Children are a real blessing and we are privileged to be part of their lives.

'It makes me sad when the people who children love and trust the most abuse that power.”

She says unexplained burns or broken bones are typical signs of abuse.

Vivienne says finding signs of sexual abuse; discharge or bleeding from the genital region in a young child, is suspicious.

'Some infections are diagnostic of sexual abuse, such as gonorrhoea in a young child.

'Pregnancy is also diagnostic in non consenting children and adolescents.”

She says neglect is harder to identify, but includes things such as not feeding the child well enough, not dressing them in appropriate clothes, not going to doctor when sick, truancy from school, parents looking after kids whilst intoxicated.

Vivienne says a child's behaviour can also point to abuse.

'Developmental delays, lack of attachment to parents and bad behaviour, such as stealing or lying.”

There are also clues to abuse found in a child's sexual understanding.

'Age inappropriate sexual play, ie demonstration of sexual acts in young child, age inappropriate knowledge of sex, reluctance to go to a particular person, aggression, over eagerness to please, risky behaviours such as running away and drug and alcohol use.”

Vivienne feels all parents should be educated on how to look after children with parenting courses being the norm, rather than for 'bad parents”.

'I also think having better support for parents with babies, better Working for Families packages, more help given to families where domestic violence is the norm to help stop the violence, and less drug and alcohol use.”

There are agencies people can approach if they suspect such abuse is taking place, including the Women's Refuge and Child, Youth and Family Services.

'For sexual abuse I work as part of a team offering medical assessments called BOPSASS (BOP Sexual Abuse Support Services).

'The police are also very good locally at listening to peoples concerns.

'It is important that if someone has concerns that they voice them early to try to stop further abuse from happening.”