Child abuse is doing or failing to do something that results in harm or risk of harm to a child.
Types of Child Abuse?
- Sexual
- Physical
- Neglect
- Emotional
Sexual Abuse
- Any sexual activity that a child cannot comprehend or consent to.
- Includes:
- Fondling
- Oral-genital contact
- Genital and anal intercourse
- Exhibitionism
- Voyeurism
- Exposure to pornography
Physical Abuse
- Occurs when a child’s body is injured as a result of hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, or other show of force.
Neglect
- Includes:
- physical neglect (failing to provide food, clothing, shelter, or other physical necessities)
- emotional neglect (failing to provide love, comfort, or affection)
- medical neglect (failing to provide needed medical care)
Emotional Abuse
- Results from all of the above.
- Can be associated with verbal abuse, which can harm a child’s self-worth or emotional well-being.
Did You Know?
- Most often children are abused by a caregiver or someone they know, not a stranger.
- 1 in 20 children have been physically abused in their lifetime.
- The majority of cases reported to Child Protective Services involve neglect, followed by physical and sexual abuse.
- Studies have suggested that up to one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they are eighteen years old.