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Definition: child abuse from Philip's Encyclopedia

Emotional and/or physical (often sexual) maltreatment of a child. Neglect is considered a form of abuse. Physical abuse may be apparent in bruising and lacerations, burns or scars. Sexual abuse is often concealed by the abused either out of fear or guilt. Physical effects of sexual abuse may be apparent to a medical practitioner. Mental effects may result in remoteness or crudely violent outbursts. It is argued that victims of abuse are more likely to be abusers later in life.

Child Abuse

From Encyclopedia of Motherhood
Child abuse is a socially defined construct; as such, it does not lend itself to an easy definition. It is a highly controversial and complex concept, subject to constant change that is influenced by a range of political and cultural factors. Historically, the highly publicized case of the abuse of a young girl named Mary Ellen Wilson led to a public outcry resulting in the foundation of the Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty to Children in 1874, which ultimately initiated dramatic changes in society's treatment of children. However, it was not until 1974 when formal legislation was passed in North America that clearly defined a mandate for the reporting of physical child abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and physical neglect. Estimates of child abuse in North America suggest that about one in every 10 children each year receive harsh physical treatment by a caregiver or parent that puts them at risk for injury and harm. By the age of 18, one in five girls and one in nine…
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Full text Article Child Abuse

From Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict Full text Article Contents by Subject Area
Defining Abuse Demographics/Epidemiology Explaining Child Abuse Policy and Treatment Conclusions Further Reading Glossary Child Neglect Acts that endanger the welfare of children, including leaving children unsupervised in dangerous situations, failure to provide shelter, nutrition, education, or…
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Full text Article Child Abuse

From World of Criminal Justice, Gale
Child Abuse:Signs and Symptoms
Child abuse occurs when a parent or caretaker acts or fails to act in such a way as to result in exploitation of a child, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or death, or when a parent or caretaker places a child in an imminent risk of serious harm. Child abuse laws exist to protect…
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Full text Article Child Abuse

From Encyclopedia of Women's Health
Child abuse or maltreatment occurs in many settings and places around the world. There are various kinds of abuse, and many times a child is the victim of more than one type of maltreatment. The spectrum of maltreatment includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. Issues of…
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Full text Article Child Abuse

From Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Disabilities and Other Exceptional Individuals
The age-old phenomenon of child maltreatment only formally attracted the attention of mental health professionals in the 1960s. Psychiatric and psychological exploration of child battering has lagged two decades behind the pioneering efforts of pediatricians and radiologists in establishing medical…
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Full text Article child abuse

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment or neglect of children by parents, guardians, or others responsible for a child's welfare. Physical abuse is characterized by physical injury, usually inflicted as a result of a beating or inappropriately harsh discipline. Sexual abuse includes…
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Full text Article Child Abuse

From Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology
Child abuse victimization by age, 2013 Source:...
Child abuse is the term for an act of harming children by neglect, physical force, violence, sexual attack, or by inflicting psychological or emotional distress. For much of history, children were considered the property of parents. People rarely, if ever, intervened on another family, including in…
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Full text Article CHILD ABUSE

From Dictionary of Policing
Child abuse is one form of the maltreatment of a child or young person under 18 years of age. Four major categories of child abuse can be identified. First is physical abuse and, among the forms this can take, are hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning and suffocating. …
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Full text Article Child Abuse

From Human Diseases and Conditions
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Child abuse occurs when a parent, caregiver, or other adult acts in such a way (or fails to act in such a way) that results in harm to a child. Harm can take various forms: physical injury, emotional injury, risk of serious harm, and even death . According to ChildHelp, child abuse is when a person, …
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Full text Article Child Abuse

From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Child abuse is a blanket term for four types of mistreatment of a child under the age of 18: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. In many cases children are the victims of more than one type of abuse. The abusers are parents or other family members, caretakers such as teachers…
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Full text Article CHILD ABUSE

From Dictionary of Youth Justice
Child abuse is a generic term used to describe a range of actions or omissions that are likely to be injurious to, or to compromise, a child’s development, health or safety. While child abuse is generally instigated by adults, the underlying abuse of ‘power’ can also take place between children. It…
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