Definition

What is child abuse?

Child abuse and neglect, sometimes also referred to as child maltreatment, can be defined as:

All forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power (  World Report on Violence and Health WHO, 1999; forthcoming [2002]).

Five major types of child abuse are: physical abuse; sexual abuse; neglect and negligent treatment; emotional abuse and exploitation.

• Physical Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Neglect & Negligent Treatment
• Emotional Abuse
• Exploitation

Physical Abuse

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Physical abuse can be considered any form of non-accidental injury that causes significant harm to a child, including: shaking; use of excessive force in handling; deliberate poisoning; suffocation; allowing or creating a substantial risk of significant harm to a child; and Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy (where parents fabricate stories of illness about their child or cause physical signs of illness) (Children First Summary, 1999).

Physical abuse of a child is also that which results in actual or potential physical harm from an interaction or lack of interaction, which is reasonably within the control of a parent or person in a position of responsibility, power, or trust.  There may be single or repeated incidents (WHO, 1999).

Sexual Abuse

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Child sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in a sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared and that violates the laws or social taboos of society (WHO, 1999).  Sexual abuse occurs when a child is used by an adult (or another child who by age or development is in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power) for his or her gratification or sexual arousal, or for that of others.

Examples of sexual abuse include:

Exposure of the sexual organs or any sexual act intentionally performed in the presence of a child; intentional touching or molesting of the body of a child whether by a person or object for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification; masturbation in the presence of a child or involvement of the child in the act of masturbation; sexual intercourse with the child, whether oral, vaginal or anal (Children First Summary, 1999).  It can also include but is not limited to the: coercion of a child to engage in an unlawful sexual activity; exploitative use of a child in prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices; and exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and materials (WHO, 1999).

Neglect and negligent treatment 

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Neglect and negligent treatment is the omission on the part of the caregiver to provide for the development of the child in all aspects: health, education, emotional development, nutrition, shelter and safe living conditions, in the context of resources reasonably available to the family or caretakers.  This includes the failure to properly supervise and protect children from harm as much as is possible (WHO, 1999).

Neglect becomes apparent in different ways over a period of time rather than at one specific point.  For instance, a child whose ongoing failure to gain weight or whose height is significantly below average may be being deprived of adequate nutrition.  The threshold of significant harm is reached when the child’s needs are neglected to the extent that well being and/or development are severely affected (Children First Summary, 1999)

Emotional abuse

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Emotional abuse includes the failure to provide a developmentally appropriate, supportive environment so that the child can develop a stable and full range of emotional and social competencies.  It includes emotional unavailability by the child’s parent/carer and it occurs when a child’s needs for affection, approval, consistency and security are not met.

There may also be acts toward the child that cause harm to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

Acts of emotional abuse include restriction of movement, patterns of belittling, blaming, threatening, persistent criticism, scaring, discriminating, ridiculing, or other non-physical forms of hostile or rejecting treatment (WHO, 1999). Other examples of emotional abuse include: inconsistent or inappropriate expectations of a child; premature imposition of responsibility on a child; exposure to domestic violence (CFS, 1999)

Exploitation

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Commercial or other exploitation of a child refers to use of the child in work or other activities for the benefit of others. This includes, but is not limited to, child labour and child prostitution. These activities are to the detriment of the child’s physical or mental health, education, moral or social-emotional development (WHO, 1999).