Child Maltreatment and Neglect Problems
Child Physical Abuse
Child physical abuse is non-accidental physical injury to a child—ranging from minor bruises to severe
fractures or death—occurring as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing,
stabbing, choking, hitting (with a hand, stick, strap, or other object), burning, or any other method
that is inflicted by a parent, caregiver, or other individual who has responsibility for the child. Such
injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caregiver intended to hurt the child. Physical
discipline, such as spanking or paddling, is not considered abuse as long as it is reasonable and causes
no bodily injury to the child.
Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse encompasses any sexual act involving a child that is intended to provide sexual
gratification to a parent, caregiver, or other individual who has responsibility for the child. Sexual
abuse includes activities such as fondling a child's genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, and
indecent exposure. Sexual abuse also includes noncontact exploitation of a child by a parent or
caregiver—for example, forcing, tricking, enticing, threatening, or pressuring a child to participate in
acts for the sexual gratification of others, without direct physical contact between child and abuser.
Child Neglect
Child neglect is defined as any confirmed or suspected egregious act or omission by a child's parent or
other caregiver that deprives the child of basic age-appropriate needs and thereby results, or has
reasonable potential to result, in physical or psychological harm to the child. Child neglect
encompasses abandonment; lack of appropriate supervision; failure to attend to necessary emotional
or psychological needs; and failure to provide necessary education, medical care, nourishment,
shelter, and/or clothing.
Child Psychological Abuse
Child psychological abuse is non-accidental verbal or symbolic acts by a child's parent or caregiver that
result, or have reasonable potential to result, in significant psychological harm to the child. (Physical
and sexual abusive acts are not included in this category.) Examples of psychological abuse of a child
include berating, disparaging, or humiliating the child; threatening the child; harming/abandoning—
or indicating that the alleged offender will harm/abandon—people or things that the child cares
about; confining the child (as by tying a child's arms or legs together or binding a child to furniture or
another object, or confining a child to a small enclosed area [e.g., a closet]); egregious scapegoating
of the child; coercing the child to inflict pain on himself or herself; and disciplining the child excessively
(i.e., at an extremely high frequency or duration, even if not at a level of physical abuse) through
physical or nonphysical means.
