What is child abuse?

Although there are many formal and acceptable definitions of child abuse, the following is offered as a guide.  Child abuse consists of any act of commission or omission that endangers or impairs a child's physical or emotional health and development. Child abuse includes any damage done to a child which cannot be reasonably explained and which is often represented by an injury or series of injuries appearing to be non-accidental in nature.

Major forms of child abuse:

Physical abuse - Any non-accidental injury to a child.  This includes hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping, and paddling.

Emotional abuse - Any attitude or behavior which interferes with a child's mental health or social development.  This includes yelling, screaming, name-calling, shaming, negative comparisons to others, telling them they are "bad, no good, worthless" or "a mistake".

Sexual abuse - Any sexual act between an adult and child.  This includes fondling, penetration, intercourse, exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, child prostitution, group sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sexual acts.

Neglect - Physical - Failure to provide for a child's physical needs.  This includes lack of supervision, inappropriate housing or shelter, inadequate provision of food, inappropriate clothing for season or weather, abandonment, denial of medical care, and inadequate hygiene.

Neglect - Emotional - Failure to provide affection and support necessary for the development of emotional, social, physical and intellectual well-being of a child.  This includes ignoring, lack of appropriate physical affection (hugs), not saying "I love you," withdrawal of attention, lack of praise, lack of positive reinforcement.

Who inflicts the abuse?

Child abusers are found among all socio-economic, religious and ethnic groups and are most often ordinary people who are trapped in a stressful life situation with which they cannot cope satisfactorily.

A child abuser is usually a person closely related to the child, such as a parent, stepparent or other caretaker.  The child abuser is seldom a total stranger.

If you suspect a child is being abused:

1. Call the Childhelp USA^® National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD^® to learn the reporting agency for your geographic area and situation. This is frequently a law enforcement agency (police or sheriff's department), and/or the local child welfare agency (DCFS, HRS, CPS,CFS, etc.).
2. Suspicion of abuse is all that is necessary to file a report
3. Your information can be given anonymously
4. Information which will be most helpful:  the child's name, age, address, gender, school attended (if possible), and names of parents
5. Upon receiving your information, the child welfare agency will determine the appropriate course of action

Childhelp USA^® National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD^®
1-800-2-A-CHILD (T.D.D.)

(as taken from www.childhelpusa.org)