Child Abuse
Alternate Names : Physical Abuse, Neglect, Sexual Abuse, Emotional Abuse
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1973 was enacted to protect children. It defines child
abuse (and neglect) as "the physical treatment and mental injuring, sexual
abuse, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child under the age of 18 by a
person who is responsible for the child's welfare under circumstances which
indicate that the child's health and welfare is harmed or threatened thereby."
A non-accidental injury to a child is physical abuse. Failure to provide a
child with basic emotional and physical needs is neglect. Neglect
includes not providing a child with basic medical care. Sexual abuse is defined
as any sexual activity between an adult and a child.
What are the causes and risks of the injury?
Children of
all ages, ethnic and cultural groups, and socioeconomic levels are at risk for
abuse. Certain factors put some children at higher risk for
being abused. Three particular areas of stress have been shown to increase the
risk of abuse to a child.
Child-produced stress factors
These stress factors include a child who may be:
an adopted child or foster child
behaviorally different, such as children with attention deficit disorder
mentally different, such as children with mental retardation or learning disabilities
physically different, such as children with physical disabilities
substantially different
from other family members in temperament
temperamentally difficult
Social-situational stress factors
These stress factors include:
parental relationship with
dominant-submissive patterns
physical or social isolation
poor housing or frequent moves
poverty or unemployment
punishing child-rearing style
significant change in family finances
strained parent-child relationship, including unwanted children
violent parental relationship
Parent-produced stress factors
These stress factors include parents who have the following characteristics:
depression
history of abuse as a child
lack of education about basic child-rearing
low self-esteem
psychiatric illness or character disorder
substance
abuse
unrealistic
expectations of their children
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