Which action best indicates a child may have experienced physical abuse, evidenced by unexplained injuries?

• A. Unexplained injuries
• B. Shows fear
• C. Emotional detachment
• D. Displaying sexual knowledge beyond normal

Answer: (A)

Unexplained injuries are the most direct signal of physical abuse because they show harm that isn’t supported by a believable or consistent explanation. When a child’s injuries don’t match what they’ve said happened, or show up in different places or in various stages of healing, the evidence points specifically to physical harm rather than to emotional or developmental issues.

Fear can accompany abuse, but it isn’t specific to physical harm and can arise from many situations. Emotional detachment can reflect trauma or other distress, and sexual knowledge beyond what’s typical for age can signal possible sexual abuse, which is a different concern than physical injury. So the unexplained injuries option best aligns with physical abuse and its direct, observable consequence. If you notice unexplained injuries, it’s important to assess safety and follow appropriate reporting procedures.