Child Abuse Prevention
Child Abuse Prevention
I. What is child abuse?
Child abuse is a very sensitive issue that needs to by carefully handled. Child abuse is defined as a no accidental injury or pattern of injures to a child for which there is no reasonable explanation. Child abuse consists of different types of harmful acts directed toward children. In physical abuse, children are slapped, hit, kicked or pushed, or have objects thrown at them causing wounds, broken bones, or other injuries. Severe abuse may result in major injury, permanent physical or developmental damage, or even death. Emotional abuse involves humiliation, dishonoring or other acts carried out over time that terrorize or frighten the child. Sexual abuse consists of a wide range of sexual behavior, including fondling, masturbation and intercourse. Sexual abuse can also involve children in pornography. Neglect, form of child maltreatment, involves the failure to feed or care for a child's basic needs or to adequately supervise the child. Child abuse usually is not a single act of physical abuse, neglect or molestation, but is typically a repeated pattern of behavior. A child abuser is most often a parent, stepparent, or caretaker of a child. He or she can be found in all cultural, ethnic, occupational and socio-economic groups.
Indications of child abuse or causes of child abuse
There is no one single cause of child abuse, but there are certain common factors often present among the families where abuse occurs. This section discusses some of the common features of the homes, children and perpetrators of child abuse. This does not mean these factors are always present, or that if they are present, they will always lead to abuse.
Profile of homes where children were killed.
Perpetrators most often male
AFDC main source of support
Caretakers not married to each other
Drug or alcohol use
Criminal history that includes a violent crime
Victim was youngest sibling
Domestic
I. What is child abuse?
Child abuse is a very sensitive issue that needs to by carefully handled. Child abuse is defined as a no accidental injury or pattern of injures to a child for which there is no reasonable explanation. Child abuse consists of different types of harmful acts directed toward children. In physical abuse, children are slapped, hit, kicked or pushed, or have objects thrown at them causing wounds, broken bones, or other injuries. Severe abuse may result in major injury, permanent physical or developmental damage, or even death. Emotional abuse involves humiliation, dishonoring or other acts carried out over time that terrorize or frighten the child. Sexual abuse consists of a wide range of sexual behavior, including fondling, masturbation and intercourse. Sexual abuse can also involve children in pornography. Neglect, form of child maltreatment, involves the failure to feed or care for a child's basic needs or to adequately supervise the child. Child abuse usually is not a single act of physical abuse, neglect or molestation, but is typically a repeated pattern of behavior. A child abuser is most often a parent, stepparent, or caretaker of a child. He or she can be found in all cultural, ethnic, occupational and socio-economic groups.
Indications of child abuse or causes of child abuse
There is no one single cause of child abuse, but there are certain common factors often present among the families where abuse occurs. This section discusses some of the common features of the homes, children and perpetrators of child abuse. This does not mean these factors are always present, or that if they are present, they will always lead to abuse.
Profile of homes where children were killed.
Perpetrators most often male
AFDC main source of support
Caretakers not married to each other
Drug or alcohol use
Criminal history that includes a violent crime
Victim was youngest sibling
Domestic