Warning signs: Protecting children from physical abuse

In the past year the region saw a number of cases of young children being severely injured, and in some cases killed, as a result of physical abuse from a caretaker.
More recently in Washington County, 24-year-old Lyndon Gerald Henderson was arrested in November after his girlfriend’s baby was found unresponsive.
Henderson, of California, was watching the 1-year-old boy while his partner was at work. She called police and the baby was transported to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh where he was placed on a ventilator. The child remains in the hospital in serious condition.
Jackie Parker, spokesperson for Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania (DVSSP), explained that domestic violence is not just something that occurs between romantic partners.
“It is a pattern of behavior, an attempt to exert power and control over another person in a relationship. Obviously, children are a part of that,” Parker said.
DVSSP is a nonprofit that serves victims of domestic abuse in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties. Fayette County, in particular, had several cases involving children last year.
Gina D’Auria, administrator of the county’s Children & Youth Services (CYS) department, said her office tracks fatalities and “near fatalities” involving abused children. In 2024 there were three cases in each category, a slight uptick from previous years.
“This is probably the worst year that we have had since we started counting fatalities and near fatalities … With the exception of, I believe one, (the children) were all around the 2-year-(old) mark,” D’Auria said.
One of those deaths was 2-year-old Margaret Nunn. Nunn died Oct. 21 after several weeks of suspected abuse that investigators claim was inflicted by her guardians in the Village of Searights in Menallen Township.
Charged are Nunn’s mother, Celia Nunn, and her fiance, Emmanuel Dennis. State police allege that Dennis, 33, beat the child severely. Investigators fault Celia Nunn, 30, claiming she was aware of the abuse and did nothing to stop it.
“We do offer advocacy and services to help prevent this,” Parker said. “There are different things you can do. There are warning signs that you can be aware of.”
DVSSP offers victims of domestic abuse a 24/7 helpline, therapy services, legal advocacy to help file protection from abuse petitions and safe houses for survivors and their children.
Recognizing signs
When it comes to recognizing potential abuse, Parker says there are signs from both the abuser and the abused to look out for.
“In the person who is abusing, they are displaying controlling behavior. They might isolate their partner from friends or family,” Parker said, adding that acts of aggression that seem minor will often escalate to more severe violence.
Kids who are a bit older, able to walk and talk, can display behaviors that may signal something is wrong.
“You might see anxiety, withdrawal or aggression with children who are in abusive environments,” Parker said.
When it comes to babies who can’t display those emotions, D’Auria notes it’s important to not disregard any strange injuries. While children are accident prone by nature, there are certain types of injuries that should not be overlooked.
“Anything to the face area, things that look like grab marks. Anything that is beyond the norm,” D’Auria said. “And looking at the parents, how are the parents interacting with the child? Is the child expressing fear?”
D’Auria also acknowledges another reality: Parenting is hard, and no one gets it 100% right.
According to D’Auria, some parents lack the support system of an extended family. She stressed that sometimes parents are simply overwhelmed.
“You’re in a grocery store, and that mom or dad is just kind of losing it, sometimes just stepping up and acknowledging, ‘Yeah, kids can be very stressful,’ helps,” D’Auria said. “Offer support instead of being critical.”
For parents who perhaps are struggling with raising children, D’Auria emphasizes there is no shame in reaching out and asking for help. Some parents may injure their child out of sheer frustration, and a lack of skills to deal with it.
“It is not that the individual set out to hurt that child, they didn’t know what else to do. Their coping skills aren’t there. Their parenting skills aren’t there. The average person has that ability to take 10 seconds to walk away and calm down,” D’Auria said. “We all get frustrated, especially when you’re sleep deprived. It’s just how you learn to respond to that.”