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12 Best Practices for a Core Banking Upgrade
Bankers often refer to core systems migrations as open heart surgery -- the vast platforms that support all retail transactions are that critical to the life of a bank. Accordingly, the costs -- and risks -- of core banking projects are high.
To help you improve the prognosis for your core banking modernization initiative, Bank Systems & Technology asked some bankers who recently completed or are in the middle of a core banking upgrade, as well as the analysts who help them, for their advice on what makes such a project smooth and successful. Here are their top 12 tips:
1. Cleanse data before the migration. "Data cleansing is something you have to do beforehand," insists Rudiger Schmidt, head of core banking international at Deutsche Bank, which is implementing TCS BaNCS Core Banking for global transaction banking in a five- to six-year project that began last year. "Clean up the data in the old system; don't expect the new system to do it."
Getting basic information, especially account and customer data, in order is a critical first step, argrees Stefan Besterman, senior manager at consultancy LECG (Devon, Pa.). "Firms need to focus on mastering their data so they can aggregate and maintain control over all of this information," he says.
Silicon Valley Bank ($14.8 billion in assets), which is running its legacy and new core banking systems concurrently as it gradually performs its conversion module by module over five years, had engineers ensure that its reporting and online delivery systems were getting the right information from both its legacy and new core systems, according to Bruce Wallace, head of global services. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based bank put all of its customer information files on its new Oracle (Redwood Shores, Calif.) Flexcube core last year so it would have a single repository even while some accounts remain on the legacy platform. When new data is entered in one system, the other core is updated automatically.
2. Set a schedule and stick to it. "For a program like this, momentum is the most important thing; as a result, schedule is important," says Dave Curran, program director of Commonwealth Bank of Australia's (US$770 billion in assets) core banking modernization initiative. "These programs are really big, and if you lose your schedule, you'll lose your budget and everything else."
Schedule drives cost, Curran points out. "In our case, it's a four-year program. If that four-year program becomes a six-year program, it will cost 50 percent more, because the biggest cost is people. If people work 50 percent longer, it will cost 50 percent more." The price tag for Commonwealth Bank's four-year core banking project, which began in 2008, has been publicly estimated at $580 million. The Sydney-based bank is converting its platforms to SAP for Banking.
Sticking to a schedule also improves decision making, Curran notes. "If the schedule is not important, you could easily get to the point where you can't make decisions because you want to have another discussion, another meeting, another steering group or conference call, and meanwhile you've lost two or three weeks," he says, adding that the focus on keeping on schedule moves everyone along. "That means occasionally you'll make some less-than-perfect decisions. But you can tidy those up later rather than trying to build the perfect solution."
Evoking the common analogy, Curran warns, "You can't afford to leave the patient on the table too long. If you're working on the heart and see something wrong with the liver, you might have to get back to that later."
3. Create a high-level decision-making body to arbitrate between different points of view, such as lines of business or operations and IT, advises Bart Narter, SVP of Boston-based analyst firm Celent. The group -- which should include the heads of operations, IT, retail banking, commercial banking and commercial lending -- should meet at least twice a month, and decisions should be final and binding, he says. "If you're totally reengineering and creating a new system that will affect all parts of the bank, you could go into a two-month spin cycle on a certain issue," Narter notes. "You get senior people to meet once every two weeks and make decisions."
At Silicon Valley Bank, an executive steering committee that conducts periodic assessments of the core banking migration includes executives from IT, product ops, the credit group, the front office and the global team. It's chaired by Greg Becker, the bank's president, who makes final deployment decisions. "Three key executives are intimately involved in the deployment and execution of the program -- that's absolutely critical," relates the bank's Wallace.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia also has an executive steering committee for its core banking project that's chaired by the bank's group chief executive and meets monthly. "We've had 39 meetings and he's only missed one -- because he was sick," says Commonwealth Bank's Curran. "That's a clear example of priority setting."
4. Use a guinea pig. One bank in the Northeast U.S. reportedly acquired a smaller bank and piloted its new core banking system at the acquired institution in order to work out the kinks before conducting a full-scale rollout, according to an industry observer who requested anonymity. Conduct this type of test before the new signage goes up and the main bank will be insulated from complaints and criticism about early hiccups in the new software.
5. Create a reusable blueprint. Deutsche Bank has created a "migration factory" -- a set of methodologies, tools and capabilities for migrating to or from any platform. According to Deutsche's Schmidt, the bank has built a "storybook" of structured processes for migrating checklists, command center structures, communications structures and all of the other changes needed to facilitate a cutover from one system to another.
"We're formalizing it, documenting it and making it repeatable," says Schmidt, who adds that his group is leveraging experiences from former migrations, reusing formerly created tools and runbooks, and improving them. "Each and every defect we find in this migration will be later reworked in the runback."
6. Don't try to do everything at once. "You should not try to put all the items on your wish list into your requirements for the new system," Deutsche's Schmidt advises. "There will be some users who will feel that if they don't put their wish list in now, they'll never get what they want. But this is open heart surgery," he continues, recalling the common core migration theme.
"For the first transformation, reduce new functionality as much as possible -- just try to migrate your existing business on the new platform," Schmidt adds. "Once you are on a new platform, you're able to get to a new level of productivity, and then you can start implementing new functionalities."
7. Create small subprojects that can deliver value along the road. To try to make the process as seamless as possible for clients, Silicon Valley Bank is taking a modular approach to its core banking conversion, migrating one piece at a time over the course of five years. It started with foreign currency loan software, piloting it with a few existing and new clients. According to the bank's Wallace, after deploying each module, the bank reassesses its strategy, looking at the success of the deployment and what might have changed from a market or client perspective from when the bank made its original assumptions.
"We have course-corrected a couple of times along the way," he relates. "Not because the deployments didn't go the way we expected them to, but because certain dynamics or our original assumptions had changed. We continue to reassess each time we do a deployment to make sure we have the right prioritization." So far, the bank has been averaging two deployments a year, with two and a half deployments planned for 2011 -- two major deployments with a "mini release" of additional capabilities in between, Wallace says.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which started its core modernization with a customer data integration project and a deposit program, sees its four-year modernization initiative as a series of projects. Yet, "You've got to make sure you have regular releases to business," the bank's Curran notes. "You can't disappear into the background for two or three years. Banks and markets don't have that kind of patience."
8. Expect time and cost overruns. "I've never seen a core banking project go on time," contends Celent's Narter. "Because it's such a large, complex project, there are always surprises, and they're rarely pleasant."
9. Try to enable and retain existing IT employees, even if you're changing IT platforms. "Say you're moving from an IBM mainframe to Unix and your IT staff only knows IBM," Narter says. "It's incredibly demotivating to people to know that as soon as the project is done, they're going to be let go." Instead, invest in retraining the best existing staff on the new system. "Among other things, they understand the operations of the bank," Narter explains.
10. Have end users practice using the new system before official rollout. "They'll come up with things that don't work right," points out Narter. End-user training on the new core system is also important to user adoption and the ultimate success of the project, he adds.
11. Manage the migration strictly. "The cutover itself has to be a military-like operation to run smoothly," Deutsche Bank's Schmidt says.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Curran points out that good governance is important at all stages. At the "get fit before the operation" stage, Commonwealth worked to integrate all of its customer service touchpoints, upgrade its customer service and Internet platforms, and drive $200 million of annual spend out of IT budgets to help fund the core upgrade, he reports. In a later phase, the migration will involve "cloud enablement of the organization" -- Commonwealth plans both to buy services from the cloud and to make its services available in the cloud, according to Curran. "You can only do that when you have the core, service orientation and architecture right," he says.
12. Be prepared to quickly fix glitches in the new system. Half of the effort in deploying a new core banking system with zero downtime is testing, Deutsche Bank's Schmidt asserts. "But at the end, you won't be able to test everything, otherwise you'd need to replay, say, an entire year's worth of transactions, and even then you haven't covered everything," he says. "Besides very expensive testing, you have to be able to react fast to any problem after go-live, and you have to be flexible and prepared for some manual workarounds."


text: POPLARVILLE – Pearl River Community College"s annual "Meet the Wildcats Night" is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26, at Dobie Holden Stadium.The 2010 Wildcat football team, featuring head football coach Tim Hatten and his staff, the men"s and women"s soccer teams, and all other college sports teams, the Spirit of the River marching band, the String of Pearls dance team and the PRCC cheerleading squad will be introduced.Following the introductions, a Back to School Bash will be held from 7-10 p.m. at the stadium. Musical entertainment will be provided for students, as well as obstacle course competitions for students."This will include things like relay races, limbo competitions, tug-o-wars and various events sponsored by student groups on campus," said Tom Smith, coordinator of student life on campus. "We want all our students, including our resident students, to participate in this back-to-school event."PRCC fall athletics kick off next week with the soccer schedule. The Wildcat women host Mississippi College at 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 27. Both soccer teams play at home on Wednesday, Sept. 1, against Holmes Community College. The women play at 2 p.m. and the men at 4.The Wildcat football team opens its season Thursday, Sept. 2, at home against Northwest Community College. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. The second game of the season, Sept. 9, at home against Itawamba, also begins at 7 p.m.Reserved season football tickets and a new all-sports pass are now on sale.Tickets for all five home games, with seats in the chair-back section on the 50-yard line, are $65 each. Walk-up individual tickets in the reserved section are $15 each.The entire center section will be chair backs for reserved seating.General admission tickets this season are $5 for students and $10 for adults.The new all-sports pass will also be offered for 2010-11 for $100. This pass includes a reserved ticket for football, as well as entrance to any PRCC regular-season sports event on campus.

subset: commoncrawl


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Designed by Darren Scott. Based on character shapes with origins rooted in the work of 19th Century American wood type makers, DST Mechanic Gothic draws influence from the poster types found in the impactful advertising during the Industrial revolution. It has several classic condensed sans-serif elements, and although Darren Scott has injected a contemporary twist to refresh the character shapes, this typeface does not deny it's roots. Darren Scott's original Mechanic Gothic design has been adapted and re-crafted to give a more conventional range of weights and italics for this exclusive re-release.
Fonts Included:


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WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) — The U.S. Postal Service has backed down from its plan to stop Saturday mail delivery.
The postal service's board said Wednesday that it will continue to deliver mail six days a week. In February, the agency announced a plan to stop delivering mail on Saturdays, except for packages and express mail.
The board said Wednesday it decided to stay the course because of a Congressional mandate for Saturday delivery that had been on the books since the 1980s. Congress decided to keep that mandate last month when it passed a funding measure to keep the government running.
The Postal Service had been hoping Congress would strip that mandate out.
"Although disappointed with this Congressional action, the Board will follow the law and has directed the Postal Service to delay implementation of its new delivery schedule until legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule," the board said in a statement.
Several lawmakers accused the agency of overstepping its legal authority when the postal service first announced its plan.
Last month, the U.S. Government Accountability Office sided with critics saying current law requires the agency to continue six-day delivery.
The U.S. Postal Service had said its plan would not violate the law, because it's only changing six-day delivery — not ending it — since packages would continue to be delivered on Saturdays.
Ending Saturday delivery would have saved the cash-starved postal service $2 billion a year.
A key culprit for the Postal Service's cash problems has been a 2006 congressional mandate, under which it has to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees. The USPS has been borrowing billions of dollars from taxpayers to make up for the shortfalls.
At the same time, technological advances have led to a decline in first-class mail, which many consumers use to pay bills and stay in touch.
The situation turned particularly dire last year — the agency twice defaulted on payments totaling $11 billion, and it exhausted a $15 billion line of credit from the U.S. Treasury. The agency reported a $16 billion loss in 2012.
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


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The process leading to approval of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Union's system of agricultural subsidies and programs, is now in its final stage and its future shape should concern us all. The CAP is the instrument that will decide the future of our food. For 50 years the CAP has soaked up almost half the EU budget. Reforming it is an opportunity for a paradigm shift towards an agriculture that is less geared to production and more towards local areas, natural resources, farmers and citizens. So far preference has been given to agricultural practices that harm soil fertility, the environment, landscapes and biodiversity, with poor countries outside Europe also suffering from unjust treatment. The CAP is currently being reformed in a process involving European institutions and organizations in the agricultural sector, but it affects all of us. The results of the reform will have significant effects for our food, environment and health. Let us look in more detail at what has been happening at the European level.
At the end of January, the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) passed amendments to the draft CAP reform tabled over a year ago by the European Commission. It decided to water down or cancel some of the measures aiming to make our food production system more sustainable. The original proposal, though not perfect, seemed to be a good compromise, as it introduced significant new improvements. After the European Council, the ball will once again be in Parliament's court and at its plenary session in March it will have the opportunity to correct the direction that COMAGRI wants to pursue in the reform process.
The European summit of February 7-8, in which European heads of state and governments agreed the budget for 2014-2020, saw a substantially unchanged commitment to Sustainable growth and natural resources. The section covering agriculture, rural development, fishing and partly environment, amounts to €373,479 billion, of which €277,852 was allocated to direct payments and market-related expenditure. The final declaration relating to agricultural policy revealed the increased importance of greening measures and ecological focus areas, though there were no indications of land percentages or mention of diversification and crop rotation. There is reference however to measures that must be applied by all farmers. So it would seem that this agreement still leaves room for significant reform of the CAP.
A more detailed examination of some aspects of the CAP:
The new CAP provides an opportunity to introduce "greening" measures. This would entail the direct payments to farms, which accounts for the largest proportion of subsidies (the so-called "First Pillar"). This thickest slice of the CAP cake has always been allocated according to farm size. Over the years, the system has ended up favoring the biggest land-holdings, which are not usually the ones showing most respect for environmental sustainability. In the proposed reform the greening measures, though not perfect, would be revolutionary: they would force the bigger farms to also bring in sustainable practices, such as crop rotation, maintaining pastures and areas having an ecological function. COMAGRI now claims it has made greening measures more flexible, but in practice it has taken them apart, one after the other, by introducing so many loopholes that they have been rendered useless.
The original reform proposal exempted farms of below 3 hectares from the greening measures in order to make things easier for small farmers, who in any case usually create proportionately less pollution than large farms. COMAGRI has raised the threshold to 10 hectares, which would exempt 82% of European farms from having to adopt greening practices. And for the largest farms many other loopholes have been introduced to get around what would no longer be a mandatory requirement. Moreover, while it was fair that certified organic farms were automatically ranked among the "virtuous" actors in the sector, it is much less fair for COMAGRI to argue that other "green" practices – but much less ecological ones – be equated with "organic" and so entitled to subsidies. In other words, those making most effort to implement sustainable practices are treated the same as those who do less or almost nothing. The situation is even more complicated with regard to direct payments: 70% of direct payments are supposed to be based on farm size and 30% on greening measures. If greening were to be voluntary, the 70% allocation would still be guaranteed on the basis of land size, providing an assurance of direct payments even to those not implementing any greening measures at all.
Double payments
With the introduced amendments it would now be possible for farmers to be paid twice for the same environmental service, determined by the first Pillar (another loophole, which is technically illegal). A farm can access two different pillars for the same measures, one for greening and one relating to the conditions for direct payments, as prescribed by the second Pillar. The European Parliament considers any certification as "environmental", independently of the measures adopted by individual farmers. This system would therefore allow farmers to receive environmental subsidies without implementing the required measures.
EFA – Ecological Focus Areas
The requirement to allocate 7% of farm land as Ecological Focus Areas has been significantly reduced to 3%. These areas only have to be set aside by farms larger than 10 hectares, excluding from the calculation areas with permanent crops. Ecological focus areas can also be cultivated, providing that no pesticides or fertilizers are used.
Crop rotation
Crop rotation will similarly not apply to farms with less than 10 hectares. On farms of between 10 and 30 hectares it will only be necessary to rotate between two crops (the EU Commission proposed three), while on farms over 30 hectares, three rotations will be required.
Funding ceiling
Subsidies have finally been capped at €300,000 for the largest landowners (as an example, Queen Elizabeth II has been receiving €8 million per year).
Young farmers
The proposal to use 2% of the CAP to encourage young farmers was adopted. Members of Parliament recommend that farmers under 40 years should receive a 25% bonus on their direct payments for the first five years they farm. But they capped the payment at 50 hectares, replacing the Commission's plan for a limit based on the average farm size in each member state.
Active farmers
A better definition of "active farmer" was introduced to prevent non-farming organizations such as airports and golf clubs from receiving subsidies.
CAP decision-making process
For the first time the European Parliament has powers of "co-decision" over the CAP, or ordinary legislative procedure, giving it a crucial role. Ordinary legislative procedure gives the same weight to the European Parliament and the EU Council in a wide range of areas. The great majority of European laws are adopted jointly by the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission sends its proposal to Parliament and the Council. They consider it and discuss it on two successive occasions. If an agreement cannot be reached after the second reading, the proposal is brought before a Conciliation Committee made up of an equal number of representatives of the Council and Parliament. Representatives of the Commission also attend meetings of this Committee and contribute to the discussions. When the Committee has reached agreement, the agreed text is sent to Parliament and the Council for a third reading, so that they can finally adopt it as a legislative text. The final agreement of the two institutions is essential if the text is to be adopted as a law. Even if a joint text is agreed by the Conciliation Committee, Parliament can still reject the proposed law by a majority of the votes cast. So, providing that the reform process is not thrown into complete disarray by the European Council's budget decisions, the European Parliament's plenary session on the CAP from March 11 to 14 will be a historic opportunity to reverse the changes to the CAP wanted by COMAGRI and to reinstate desirable environmental measures.
What will happen at the March plenary session?
On March 12, 2013 a European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg will decide the fate of our agriculture for the next seven years. It will determine issues such as the permitted quantities of fertilizer, how many farms will survive until 2020 and what type of agriculture we want for the European Union. So it is a crucial vote and the last chance to defend greening against the watered-down proposals of COMAGRI. Below is a table comparing COMAGRI'S proposals and those of ARC2020, the Brussels-based organization representing over 150 associations, including Slow Food.
For the first time the European Parliament will be able to intervene in this negotiation and we must put pressure on our deputies so they do not make the mistake of supporting the old paradigm that, far from serving the general interest, has encouraged the worst methods of production. It is not fair to use public resources to promote the interests of a minority. A Europe-wide campaign called Go M.A.D. has been launched by various associations and networks, including Slow Food, as part of the Arc 2020 project. Information explaining more about the CAP reform can be found here to help people bring these issues to the attention of our parliamentarians. Citizens can get involved and must participate in the debate before it is too late. Find out more and take action. What is at stake is the future of our food, the places where we live, and our well-being.
Sources: Arc 2020
Article by Carlo Petrini published in La Repubblica on January 29, 2013


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Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery
Surgery Overview
Mitral valve replacement surgery may be needed for mitral valve regurgitation or mitral valve stenosis.
Valve replacement is typically done as an open-heart surgery. Minimally invasive types of surgery may be another option. This document describes open-heart surgery.
Before you have valve replacement surgery, you and your doctor will decide on which type of valve is right for you.
During valve surgery, you are given general anesthesia. Your doctor makes a large incision in your chest. You are placed on a heart-lung machine during the surgery. Blood is circulated outside of the body and oxygen is added to it using a heart-lung (cardiopulmonary bypass) machine. To protect the heart muscle from damage during surgery to replace the heart valve, the heart may be cooled to slow or stop the heartbeat. The damaged mitral valve is removed and replaced with an artificial heart valve. The damaged valve is cut out, and the new valve is sewn into place.
What To Expect
Recovery from heart valve surgery usually involves a few days in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital. Full recovery from heart valve surgery can take several months. Recovery includes healing of the surgical incision, gradually building physical endurance, and exercising.
You will feel tired and sore for the first few weeks after surgery. You may have some brief, sharp pains on either side of your chest. Your chest, shoulders, and upper back may ache. The incision in your chest may be sore or swollen. These symptoms usually get better after 4 to 6 weeks.
You will probably be able to do many of your usual activities after 4 to 6 weeks. But for at least 6 weeks, you will not be able to lift heavy objects or do activities that strain your chest or upper arm muscles. At first you may notice that you get tired easily and need to rest often. It may take 1 to 2 months to get your energy back.
Even though the surgery repaired your mitral valve, it is still important to eat heart-healthy foods, get regular exercise, not smoke, take your heart medicines, and reduce stress. Your doctor may recommend that you work with a nurse, a dietitian, and a physical therapist to make these changes. This is sometimes called cardiac rehabilitation.
Life after surgery
After you have an artificial valve, your heart function and your life will largely return to normal. If you had symptoms before surgery, you should feel better than before you had the surgery. For example, you should no longer have shortness of breath and fatigue. But if your heart was already severely affected before your surgery, you may continue to have complications of heart disease.
You should be able to resume most of your normal activities, although you will have to continue to monitor your condition. You need to watch out for symptoms of blood clots and infections.
An artificial valve may need to be replaced after a period of time. So be sure to see your doctor regularly.
If you have a mechanical heart valve, you are more likely to develop blood clots in your heart. So you will take an anticoagulant medicine for the rest of your life to help prevent clots.
Why It Is Done
For both stenosis and regurgitation, valve repair surgery is typically preferred over valve replacement surgery. But if repair surgery is not a good option, replacement surgery might be recommended.
An artificial mitral valve cannot work as well as a normal mitral valve. So your doctor will likely recommend valve replacement only if it necessary. It might be necessary if the valve has deteriorated to the point that repair is not an option or if the anatomy of the valve has been changed by one or more repair procedures and can no longer be repaired.
You and your doctor will also consider your age and your overall health when you are deciding whether to have surgery.
Mitral valve regurgitation
For acute mitral valve regurgitation, surgery is done immediately to replace or repair the valve.
For chronic regurgitation, surgery might be recommended if:footnote 1
- You have symptoms.
- Regurgitation is severe.
- Your heart has pumping problems (low ejection fraction).
- Your left ventricle is larger than normal.
The decision to have surgery also depends on what caused mitral regurgitation. It depends on whether it is caused by:
- A problem with the anatomy of the valve (primary regurgitation).
- Another heart problem (secondary regurgitation).
Surgery is usually delayed if no symptoms or signs of heart failure are present.
Mitral valve stenosis
Surgery for mitral valve stenosis might be recommended if:footnote 1
- Symptoms are present.
- Stenosis is severe.
- Balloon valvotomy is not an option.
- Mitral valve regurgitation is also present.
Valve replacement surgery will likely be recommended if you need surgery but cannot have balloon valvotomy or the commissurotomy surgery to repair your mitral valve.
How Well It Works
After a diseased mitral valve is replaced, the artificial valve works more like a normal valve and allows blood to flow more normally through the heart. Many people feel better and have a better quality of life after surgery.footnote 2
The outcome of mitral valve replacement depends on a person's heart health and overall health, including other health conditions.
The exact risks of mitral valve surgery vary depending on the person's specific condition and general health prior to surgery. Younger, healthy people have a lower risk of problems while older people with other health problems have a higher risk.
In general, the risks include:
- Effects from the operation itself (such as bleeding, infection, and risks associated with anesthesia).
- Death from the surgery. This risk can be higher or lower depending on many things such as age, heart health, and other medical problems.
- Blood clotting caused by the new valve. Replacement with a mechanical valve requires lifelong treatment with anticoagulant medicine to prevent dangerous blood clots.
- Infection around the artificial valve.
- Failure of the new valve. There is a small chance that the valve will not work. Your doctor will need to check from time to time to make sure that your valve is working.
- The need for another valve replacement surgery. Artificial valves last only for a limited time. Having valve surgery again will depend on what type of valve you have and how long you live after your first surgery.
What To Think About
Repair of the heart valve usually is the preferred surgery for a mitral valve problem. When the mitral valve is seriously damaged, heart valve replacement may be recommended. The decision whether to repair or replace a valve is based on many things, including your general health, the condition of the damaged valve, the presence of other health conditions, and the expected benefits of surgery.
- Nishimura RA, et al. (2014). 2014 AHA/ACC guideline for the management of patients with valvular heart disease: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation, published online March 3, 2014. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000031. Accessed May 1, 2014.
- Otto CM, Bonow RO (2015). Valvular heart disease. In DL Mann et al., eds., Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 10th ed., vol. 2, pp. 1445–1523. Philadelphia: Saunders. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com. Accessed August 7, 2018.
Current as of: April 9, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Rakesh K. Pai MD, FACC – Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Martin J. Gabica MD – Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine & John A. McPherson MD, FACC, FSCAI – Cardiology
Current as of: April 9, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Rakesh K. Pai MD, FACC – Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Martin J. Gabica MD – Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine & John A. McPherson MD, FACC, FSCAI – Cardiology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.


text: Children's Postcard Gallery - Children's drawings of their local landscape from around Australia. This section of the site provides resources for secondary school educators. Ocean to Outback The exhibition is truly national – not only is it touring to every Australian state and territory, it also includes landscape images of every state and territory. Notes Resources The catalogue for the exhibition is recommended as an additional resource. It includes an extensive introduction to the exhibition by Ron Radford, Director of the National Gallery of Australia, and catalogue entries on all fifty-eight works in the exhibition. Federation Australian art and society 1901–2001, National Gallery of Australia 2000 Student educational resource Education Kit (1.5MB PDF) |


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Child Abuse and Neglect
Topic Overview
What is child abuse and neglect?
If you want to save this information but don't think it is safe to take it home, see if a trusted friend can keep it for you. Plan ahead. Know who you can call for help, and memorize the phone number.
Be careful online too. Your online activity may be seen by others. Do not use your personal computer or device to read about this topic. Use a safe computer such as one at work, a friend's house, or a library.
Child abuse means doing something that hurts a child. Neglect means not giving or doing something that a child needs.
- Physical abuse includes hitting, kicking, shaking, pinching, and burning. It may leave bruises, cuts, or other marks and cause pain, broken bones, or internal injuries.
- Emotional abuse is saying or doing things that make a child feel unloved, unwanted, unsafe, or worthless. It can range from yelling and threatening to ignoring the child and not giving love and support. It may not leave scars you can see, but the damage to a child is just as real.
- Sexual abuse is any sexual contact between an adult and a child or between an older child and a younger child. Showing pornography to a child is a type of sexual abuse.
- Neglect happens when a child does not get the shelter, schooling, clothing, medical care, or protection he or she needs. Child neglect is just as serious as abuse and is more common.
Abuse or neglect hurts children in many ways. Young children are at special risk. They may not grow properly. They may have learning problems. They may feel bad about themselves and not trust other people. They may be scared or angry. Sometimes they die.
Children often believe that abuse or neglect is their fault. They may think that they did something wrong and deserve what happened. It is up to adults who care to protect them.
What can you do if you suspect that a child has been abused or neglected?
Call the police or local child protective services. You don't have to give your name. If you don't know who to call, a hospital may be able to tell you. Many of them have special programs to deal with child abuse and neglect.
If a child is in immediate danger or has been badly hurt, don't wait. Call 911 or other emergency services right away.
If it is your own child, get him or her to a safe place and stay there. This may be the home of a close friend or family member or a domestic violence shelter. To find help in your area, call a trusted health professional, a child abuse organization, or the police.
If you are a child or teen who is being abused, don't keep the secret. Tell someone who can make a difference: a trusted family member, teacher, counselor, or doctor.
The Childhelp National Child Abuse hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer information, advice, and support. Call 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).
What can you do if you're afraid someone might harm your child?
If there is someone in your child's life who you think is close to becoming an abuser, you may be able to talk to that person about it and help the person learn more about managing stress and about how children grow and develop.
If you're afraid to talk to the person, make a specific plan for how you will protect your children if you think abuse is about to happen or has happened. Know who you will call and where you and your children will go.
How can you prevent child abuse and neglect?
To protect your child from abuse:
- Listen to your child. Let him or her know it is safe to talk about anything with you.
- Get to know your child's friends and their families.
- Screen all caregivers, such as babysitters and day care centers. Find out what they know about child health, child development, and child care. This may include getting permission for a police background check.
- Teach your child the difference between "good touches" and "bad touches."
- Take a break. Ask a family member or friend to give you a break when you feel overwhelmed. Learn healthy ways to manage stress. Look online for information and support, such as Childhelp (www.childhelp.org).
- Get help if you have ever been a victim of abuse. Having a history of being abused increases your chances of becoming an abuser. A good place to start is the Childhelp hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). You can talk to a counselor for free without giving your name.
To help other children:
- Learn to recognize the signs of abuse and neglect. For example, a child may not grow as expected, may be dirty or unhealthy, or may seem fearful, anxious, or depressed.
- Know the names of your neighbors and their children. Offer to help a new parent. Child abuse becomes less likely if parents and caregivers feel supported.
- Be an advocate for children. Support any group that helps parents at risk of abusing their children. Donate time, money, or goods to a local domestic violence shelter.
- If you see abuse or neglect happening, speak up. A child's life may depend on it.
Symptoms can be physical, psychological, or both.
Keep in mind that older children may not talk about the problem, because they fear or want to protect the offender. Or they don't believe they will be taken seriously.
General symptoms
Certain general symptoms that may suggest that a child is experiencing some type of abuse or neglect include:
- Slower-than-normal development. The child does not show the abilities and skills normally found in other children the same age, such as starting to talk or socialize with others. Some children regress, which means they slip backward, losing skills they had before.
- Failure to thrive. This is a term that means the child isn't gaining weight or height the way he or she should. Although this can be caused by a medical problem, it can also be a sign that the child is not being well cared for.
- Unusual interaction with a parent. The parent may not be interested in the child. Or the child may be constantly trying not to upset the parent. The child may actually be afraid of the parent.
- Mental health problems, such as having low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, or thoughts of suicide.
- Suddenly getting lower grades in school.
- Behaving in a way that isn't appropriate or that causes problems. In a young child, this could mean being unusually fussy, being afraid, or not being interested in activities. Children often act out what they have seen or experienced, such as violence or sexual activity. Older children may act out in unusual ways, such as having sex, fighting, using drugs, or running away.
Symptoms of physical abuse
Children often get injured. But physical injuries may point to abuse when:
- It's hard to see how they could have been caused by an accident. Suspicious injuries include:
- Injuries that have a pattern, such as a straight line or a circle.
- Injuries to areas of the body that usually are protected, such as the inside of the legs and arms, the back, the genitals, and the buttocks.
- The explanation for the injury changes. Or it's not a believable explanation.
- There are signs that the child has been hurt before.
- The child doesn't receive medical care for his or her injury.
Symptoms of emotional abuse
Emotional abuse means doing or saying things to hurt a child emotionally. For example, the adult may say things to make the child feel unwanted or worthless. A child who is emotionally abused may:
- Not care much about what is going on around him or her.
- Not react normally to pain, other people, or changes in his or her life.
- Avoid a particular parent or caregiver.
- Act more fearful, angry, or sad than would seem normal.
- Not do well in school.
- Hurt himself or herself on purpose.
Symptoms of sexual abuse
A child with symptoms of recent sexual abuse may:
- Not want to go to the bathroom.
- Show signs of discomfort or pain while sitting, urinating, or passing stools.
- Have discharge from the vagina or penis.
- Bleed through his or her pants.
Certain ways of behaving may also point to sexual abuse. These include:
- Knowing more than he or she should about sex.
- Running away from home.
- Attempting suicide.
- Being involved with drugs or prostitution.
Sexual abuse versus normal sexual play
Sexual abuse is very different from normal sexual play between children who have not reached puberty.
Normal sexual play between children of similar ages is usually touching and looking. No force is used.
Sexual abuse includes any sexual activity that the child is not able to understand or consent to. Besides obvious sexual acts, examples include fondling and showing pornography to a child.
Symptoms of neglect
Child neglect means not providing a child with his or her basic needs. A child's general appearance, home environment, and behavior patterns can show signs of neglect.
A child who is neglected may:
- Be very underweight or overweight.
- Be developmentally delayed.
- Be sick or tired most of the time.
- Be dirty or have poor personal hygiene.
- Not have the right clothes for the weather.
What Happens
Children who are abused or neglected may have long-term emotional and physical problems. Abuse and neglect in children younger than 7 years of age may lead to permanent behavior and personality changes.
Physical effects
- When physical abuse happens repeatedly or for a long time, it can cause permanent damage.
- Certain types of abuse, such as shaken baby syndrome, can be deadly. Some children may have permanent developmental problems or learning problems.
- A sexually abused child can get a sexually transmitted infection, such as HIV.
- A neglected child can have long-term health problems, such as not growing or developing normally.
Emotional effects
The mental and emotional effects depend on how bad the abuse or neglect is, how often it happens, how long it's been going on, and who the abuser is.
Mental health disorders that can be caused by abuse and neglect include:
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Borderline personality disorder. A person with this mental health condition may have trouble controlling his or her anger and impulses. He or she may have a low sense of self-worth and may have extreme worries about being abandoned.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Suicide or suicidal thoughts.
- Dissociation. With this condition, the mind separates itself from an event or the environment so it can maintain some degree of order and sense.
- Eating disorders.
Other emotional effects include:
- Lowself-esteem. Children often unconsciously blame themselves and grow up with a poor self-image. This affects their relationships with others.
- Anger, hostility, or criminal behavior.
- Negative feelings. A person with a history of abuse or neglect may have trouble dealing with normal struggles.
- Substance use disorder.
- Emotional detachment. A person may have problems making friends. This can lead to feeling isolated and alone. Children may not learn how to feel sympathy for others.
- Impulsiveness. The person acts without thinking about the consequences. They may take risks, such as driving dangerously.
- Sexual problems. Abused or neglected children, especially those who are sexually abused, often have problems developing healthy feelings about sex as they reach adolescence and adulthood. Some may be overly active sexually. Others may be too afraid to be intimate with anyone.
Children who are abused or neglected are more likely to abuse other children and siblings and, later in life, their own children or elderly parents. They are also more likely to become involved in crime.
What Increases the Risk
A risk factor is anything that makes you more likely to have a certain problem or disease.
Risk factors for parents and caregivers
People are more likely to abuse or neglect children if they:
- Are living in poverty or near poverty. This is a major risk factor for child abuse and neglect.
- Have a history of:
- Violence, including domestic violence.
- Substance use disorder.
- Abusing children, or having been abused themselves.
- Mental health problems, such as depression.
- Have little knowledge about how children grow and what to expect from them.
- Have a high stress level that is not managed well. This often includes being a single or teen parent or having several young children close in age.
- Don't have good support. A parent or caregiver who doesn't have financial, emotional, and other types of support may have to deal with a variety of hardships alone.
Risk factors for children
The risk of abuse and neglect increases when a child has a disability or other health issue, such as:
- Being a premature baby. Babies born early often add emotional and financial stress to a family because they need longer and more expensive hospital care. They may also need to be watched closely once they are home.
- A physical disability, such as blindness or being confined to a wheelchair.
- Below-average intelligence.
- Developmental delays.
- A difficulttemperament.
- Behavioral problems, such as ADHD.
Bonding problems
Another risk factor for children is not having a close bond with parents. Not having a close bond may be caused by:
- Parents not wanting the child.
- The birth of twins or other multiples.
- A long hospitalization of the newborn and separation from parents because of premature birth or health problems.
- Challenges related to fostering or adopting a child.
- Mental health problems in a caregiver. For example, a parent who is severely depressed may unintentionally neglect his or her child.
- A child with a major health problem or disability, such as blindness, deafness, or autism. These types of problems can make it hard for a parent to communicate with the child or for the child to give and receive affection.
When to Seek Help
Call 911 or other emergency services immediately if you see a child being abused or believe a child is in immediate danger, or you see that a child:
- Is not breathing. The 911 operator can guide you through CPR until help arrives.
- Is having trouble breathing.
- Is bleeding heavily.
- Has a changed level of consciousness.
- Is in shock.
- Shows symptoms of a head injury after being shaken.
- Has signs of severe dehydration.
Call police or child protective services immediately if you:
- Suspect an injury was caused by abuse.
- Suspect that abuse or neglect is placing a child's health at risk.
- Suspect that a child has seen or heard domestic violence within his or her family.
- Are worried that you or your spouse or partner may lose control and hurt your child.
If the child is not in immediate danger, call your local child protective services or police if:
- A child tells you about being abused or neglected.
- You notice possible physical abuse injuries.
- You see signs of sexual abuse.
- You notice signs of neglect.
Childhelp, a nonprofit agency, provides telephone numbers and information about how to report suspected or observed child abuse or neglect. The national Child Abuse hotline number is 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). The U.S. Administration of Children and Families, under the Department of Health and Human Services, has established a Children's Bureau that supports the states in the delivery of child welfare services designed to protect children and strengthen families.
Exams and Tests
Physical exam
An abused or neglected child who is taken to a doctor will first have a general physical exam. The doctor will review the child's medical history and ask parents or caregivers questions about the child's condition.
A child who is able to talk will be separated from the caregiver during the interview.
The law requires doctors to consider the possibility of abuse or neglect. Along with seeing signs of physical abuse or neglect, a doctor may become suspicious when:
- The injury is unusual or is not likely to be an accident, especially for the child's age.
- The parents or caregivers don't have a good explanation, or the explanation changes.
- The parents or caregivers say no one saw the injury happen.
- Medical records show that similar injuries or patterns of neglect have occurred in the past.
- The parents or caregivers put off taking the child to the doctor without a good reason.
- The doctor finds signs of sexual abuse.
Other children in the care of the same person may also be examined and have X-rays if police or doctors think it's needed.
Common tests
Tests that are often used to help confirm or rule out abuse or neglect include:
- Imaging tests such as X-ray, CT scan, or MRI. These types of tests can help determine whether a child's injuries include any broken bones. Some tests may also show signs of past injuries.
- Blood tests.Prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and platelet count can help determine whether the child has a bleeding disorder. Other blood tests can be used to look for signs of organ damage.
- Urinalysis, to check for blood in the urine. This can be a sign of internal injuries.
- Specialized lab tests. For example, the doctor may take skin or hair samples or samples of fluids in or around the vagina to be tested.
- Lumbar puncture, also called spinal tap, which may reveal blood from a brain injury.
- Eye exam, to find out if damage has occurred that points to shaken baby syndrome.
Other tests
Other exams and tests depend on the specific medical problem suspected or observed. For example:
- Psychological testing may be requested for some children.
- Victims of suspected sexual abuse may be tested for sexually transmitted infections.
Tracking a child's injuries
Information about a child's injuries is carefully recorded. A detailed account of the injuries goes into the child's permanent health record.
This record usually includes photographs and drawings of the injuries.
Measurements such as weight, height, and head circumference are also taken and recorded to help establish a child's baseline growth pattern. Recording these measurements on growth charts can help identify failure to thrive that sometimes is related to neglect.
Treatment Overview
Early treatment gives an abused or neglected child the best chance for recovery.
Treatment for the child
The first step is to provide a safe environment to prevent further harm. The sooner this happens, the better the child's chance for physical and emotional recovery. This includes separating the child, as well as any other children in the household, from the person suspected of abuse.
Any physical injuries will be treated, either in a hospital or at a doctor's office, depending on how serious they are.
Counseling is always recommended for abused or neglected children. It usually focuses on:
- How they feel about themselves.
- Their past experiences.
- Fears and concerns they may have about the present and future.
For very young children, counseling may involve play therapy.
Treatment for parents or caregivers
Parents or caregivers who have abused or neglected a child also need treatment. The type of treatment depends on the specific abuse that occurred.
Some people need to learn more about how to raise and care for children. Others may need treatment for other serious problems, such as:
- Substance use disorder.
- Depression or other mental health problems.
- Low self-esteem.
- Violent behavior.
Parents who have lost custody of their children can sometimes regain it. It depends on how bad the abuse or neglect was and how far they have come in realizing what their problems are and how to prevent them.
In severe cases, the parent can see the child only when someone else is present. Sometimes a judge permanently ends the parent-child relationship.
Everyone can help prevent child abuse and neglect by showing concern for children and their well-being.
Prevention tips for parents and caregivers
- Learn how tohandle children when they misbehave. Avoid using physical punishment. Parenting classes are offered in most communities. Ask your doctor or call a local hospital for more information.
- Learn healthy ways to resolve conflicts and manage stress. For more information, see the topic Stress Management.
- Ask for help when you need it. Call a family member or friend to give you a break if you feel overwhelmed. Find out about community resources that can help you with child care or other services. Call a doctor or local hospital for information.
- Get treatment if you were ever a victim of abuse. Treatment can help problems like depression, substance use disorder, or violent behavior.
- Remove firearms and other dangerous weapons from your home.
- Learn more about how children grow at different stages in their lives. For example, lack of knowledge about why babies cry can make the crying a trigger for shaken baby syndrome. For more information, see:
Prevention tips for everyone
- Get to know the children in your neighborhood. Learn their names, and show you care simply by waving to them or asking about how they're doing at home and school.
- Give parents a break. Relieve a friend, neighbor, or relative who is feeling overwhelmed with child care and other issues.
- Learn the signs of child abuse and neglect.
- Encourage your community to offer services to help families who are at risk for abuse or neglect.
- Volunteer in child abuse programs.
How Child Abuse Is Reported
Laws about reporting abuse
The law requires certain people, such as doctors, social workers, and teachers, to report suspected child abuse and neglect. Usually the report is made to the police or to child welfare or child protection agencies. In some areas the law requires all citizens to report suspected abuse or neglect.
Police and child welfare workers investigate the report. If the government believes a crime has been committed, the suspected abuser is tried and, if found guilty, sentenced.
Investigators sometimes can't find enough evidence to charge someone with a crime. In this case, parents or caregivers may be referred to social services to lower the child's risk of being hurt.
Knowing when to call police
When you suspect a child is, or is at risk of, being abused or neglected, it is important to take action. Most abused children are not able to help themselves.
Many people don't know what to do about suspected abuse, because they:
- Are not sure what is considered abuse and neglect.
- Are afraid they'll cause the child more harm.
- Are worried that they will falsely accuse a parent or caregiver.
- Are afraid the abuser will hurt or harass them.
- Are worried about being sued.
Keep in mind that by reporting your suspicions, you may prevent a child from being seriously hurt or even killed and from having lifelong emotional problems. You can make reports anonymously. If you give your name, it is kept confidential.
Also, you can't be sued successfully if you make a report in good faith.
Other Works Consulted
- American Academy of Pediatrics (2007, reaffirmed 2011). Maltreatment of children with disabilities. Pediatrics, 119(5): 1018–1025. Also available online: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/5/1018.full.
- American Academy of Pediatrics (2007, reaffirmed 2012). Evaluation of suspected child physical abuse. Pediatrics, 119(6): 1232–1241. Also available online: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/6/1232.full.
- Dubowitz H, Lane WG (2011). Abused and neglected children. In RM Kliegman et al., eds., Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 19th ed., pp. 135–142. Philadelphia: Saunders.
- Dubowitz H, Lane WG (2011). Sexual abuse. In RM Kliegman et al., eds., Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 19th ed., pp. 142–146. Philadelphia: Saunders.
- Leventhal JM, Asnes AG (2011). Child maltreatment: Neglect to abuse. In CD Rudolph et al., eds., Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22nd ed., pp. 137–143. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Ludwig S, Rostain A (2009). Family function and dysfunction. In WB Carey et al., eds., Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, 4th ed., pp. 103–117. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.
Current as of: May 28, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Kathleen Romito MD – Family Medicine & John Pope MD – Pediatrics
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.


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Hope all puzzlers had a great weekend. Here's today's puzzle, straight from the mind and words of PCS Season II runner-up Josh:
To solve this puzzle, you will need to use the clues to find the following 22 word pairs. The first word in each pair will be three (Pairs 1-4), four (Pairs 5-14), or five letters (Pairs 15-22) long. The second word in each pair can be formed by adding a pair of letters to the first word. (For example: RED, RAZED) When you have all 22 word pairs solved (plus the freebie to get a total of 23), you will use those added letter pairs from the second word of each pair to uncover a secret clue. The answer to that secret clue is a former Dodger.
Note: You get one freebie in the secret clue because I wrote myself into a corner on one of the word pairs.
Good luck! I will post hints in the comments as I see fit.
- Madden's choice of travel / An unexpected addition
- Humbug predecessor / Cookie grouping
- Simple bed / Sesame's vampire
- Signal to start / Offensive word
- Child's pillow construction / Tidwell's service
- 5-time Wimbledon champ / Drill's task
- Engine's energy drink / Potentially hazardous cloud
- Beast of burden / Your heart is one
- Expires / Current instabilities
- Mayweather's workplace / Fired up
- To smudge / Where chads hang
- 63,360 inches / Comparative figure of speech
- Interjection for Yorick / Eucalyptus eaters
- Famous Christian / To perplex
- Hefty Giant's nickname / Top grosser's setting
- Butcher's tubmate / More depressing
- Furious / Thankless one
- Person of authority / Effective handler
- Jobs' job / Contest for superiority
- Casual affair / What Cronin can't fight
- Zero / Beer on tap
- "Community" Spanish teacher / Runner's irritation
Secret Clue:
Solution here.
Puzzle Rules: The answer to the puzzle is a former Dodger. Watch the comment thread for possible hints from Josh S. Comment freely in the thread, but if you have the solution, please don't give it away to everyone in the comments section. Instead, do the following:
- Email us with the first and last name of the Dodger player who is the answer, along with your reasoning (answers arrived at via luck or the wrong reasoning, even if correct, count for participation credit only). And please include your screen name somewhere in the email; and
- Post a comment simply saying you have emailed your solution attempt. I may not be able to reply to your original email promptly, so please be patient and check back on the comment thread for the latest news; I may confirm correct answers there.
You have until midnight PT tonight to submit your answer. Solution will be posted tomorrow. Good luck!
*New to SoSG's PCS Puzzle Series? Here's how it works. Join the fun, all are welcome!


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