Definition
"Child abuse" can be defined as causing or permitting any harmful or offensive contact on a child's body; and, any communication or transaction of any kind which humiliates, shames, or frightens the child. Some child development experts go a bit further, and define child abuse as any act or omission, which fails to nurture or in the upbringing of the children. 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 caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.”
A child of any age, sex, race, religion, and socioeconomic background can fall victim to child abuse and neglect.
There are many factors that may contribute to the occurrence of child abuse and neglect. Parents may be more likely to maltreat their children if they abuse drugs or alcohol. Some parents may not be able to cope with the stress resulting from the changes and may experience difficulty in caring for their children.
Types Child abuse can take several forms:] The four main types are physical, sexual, psychological, and neglect. According to the 2010 Child Maltreatment Report (NCANDS), a yearly Federal report based on submission by state Child Protective Services (CPS) Agencies, “as in prior years, neglect was the most common form of maltreatment.” The cases were substantiated as follows: neglect 78.3%, physical abuse 17.6%, sexual abuse 9.2%, and psychological maltreatment 8.1%.), According to Richard Wexler, the Director of National Coalition of Child Protection Reform, of “those labeled “substantiated” or “indicated” by protective workers, relatively few are the kind that leap to mind when we hear the words “child abuse”. By far the largest category was “neglect”. Often, these are cases in which the primary problem is family