What is Child Abuse ?

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines child abuse and neglect as: “at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caregiver, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents and imminent risk of serious harm.”

Major types of child abuse are:

Physical Abuse-when a child suffers from injuries that are not accidental.

Emotional Abuse-when a child suffers from a negative emotional atmosphere.

Sexual Abuse-when a child is exploited for sexual gratification.

Neglect –when a child is not provided with basic necessities or is allowed to experience avoidable suffering.

There are behaviors and signs that are common to each form of abuse. Examples of these can be found at the website, www.preventchildabusega.org. Be aware that matching one of these indicators to a child is not an absolute proof that child abuse is taking place- but is a reason to make further observations to determine if and what type of help might be needed in the interest of the child’s welfare and safety.