Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

C
child abuse Actions by parents and other caregivers
that endanger a child’s physical and emotional
well-being. Child abuse affects about 1
million children in the United States each year,
1,200 of whom die as a result of the abuse they
experience. In many countries child abuse is both a
health concern and a legal matter. In the United
States federal law establishes basic legal criteria that
define child abuse; each state further describes the
actions that meet such criteria and may extend the
criteria to include additional circumstances of
abuse. There are four basic types of child abuse:
Typically an abused child experiences more
than one type of abuse; emotional abuse is nearly
always a component of any other type of abuse.
Child abuse may also occur when parents or caregivers
fail to take action to prevent harm or injury
to the child, including intervening to stop the abusive
actions of another parent or caregiver.
Signs of Child Abuse
Indications of child abuse may be physical or
behavioral. Signs that suggest neglect and child
abuse include
• Neglect occurs when the parent or caregiver
fails to provide for the child’s basic needs such
as appropriate nutrition, clothing, shelter, medical
care, and physical and emotional attention.
Examples of neglect include grossly unsanitary
living conditions, persistently depriving a child
of meals, locking a child in a room or out of the
house, and leaving a child alone and unattended
for extended periods of time.
• Physical abuse occurs when a child receives
injuries, regardless of whether the parent or
caregiver intended to cause harm. Examples of
physical abuse include harsh physical discipline,
hitting, shaking, kicking, and choking.
• Sexual abuse occurs when there is inappropriate
physical contact of a sexual nature between
a parent or caregiver and the child. Examples of
child sexual abuse include fondling, indecent
exposure, incest, and rape.
• Emotional abuse occurs when the words or
actions of the parent or caregiver impair the
child’s sense of self and value. Examples of
emotional abuse include persistent threatening,
yelling, criticizing, and ostracizing.
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• unexplained bruises, BURNS, fractures, or other
physical injuries
• weight and size significantly less than appropriate
for age
• steals food or has an extremely unhygienic
appearance
• flinching, ducking, and other fearful behavior
in response to sudden movements from adults
• nightmares and unusual fears
• inappropriate sexual knowledge or behavior
• symptoms of SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
(STDS)
A sudden, unexplainable change in a child’s
behavior is a warning sign that bears investigation
because it can indicate any number of serious
issues, from abuse to physical illness to ILLICIT DRUG
USE. A child often will not acknowledge that a parent
or caregiver is abusive. Children depend on
their caregivers and may fear retribution from the
abuser or may not recognize that the behavior or
situation constitutes abuse. As well, secrecy is
often a key component of abuse, with the abuser