What Is Child Abuse And Types Of Abuse

Child abuse or child maltreatment is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to act by a parent or a caregiver that results in actual or potential harm to a child, and can occur in a child's home, or in the organizations, schools or communities the child interacts with.

What is child abuse? Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child. There are many forms of child maltreatment, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and emotional abuse.

Read through the sections below on the different types of child abuse to learn the signs. If you see these signs in anyone you know, or are a victim of child abuse, get help right away.

Child abuse isn’t just about black eyes. While physical abuse is shocking due to the marks it leaves, not all signs of child abuse are as obvious. Ignoring children’s needs, putting them in unsupervised, dangerous situations, exposing them to sexual situations, or making them feel worthless or stupid are also forms of child abuse and neglect—and they can leave deep, lasting scars on kids.

Regardless of the type of abuse, the result is serious emotional harm. But there is help available. If you suspect a child is suffering from abuse or neglect, it’s important to speak out. By catching the problem as early as possible, both the child and the abuser can get the help they need.

Types of abuse

Abusive behaviour involves treating someone with cruelty or violence. It often happens regularly or repeatedly. There are four main types of abuse:

Physical abuse:     Any use of physical force against a child that doesn’t happen by accident and causes injury. Hitting, beating, shaking, punching, biting, burning, scratching, strangling or choking a child are all examples of child abuse.

Emotional abuse:   A pattern of denying a child love, approval and security, or mistreating a child in the way an adult speaks to them or acts towards them. Bullying, yelling, isolating, criticising, terrorising, ignoring and shaming are all types of emotional abuse.

Sexual abuse:       Any type of sexual involvement or contact between a child and an adult. Sexual abuse can be voyeurism (spying on or watching a child), sexual acts and incest (sex between family members). For more information on sexual abuse, read about sexual assault.

Emotional abuse:   A pattern of denying a child love, approval and security, or mistreating a child in the way an adult speaks to them or acts towards them. Bullying, yelling, isolating, criticising, terrorising, ignoring and shaming are all types of emotional abuse.

Neglect :     Failing to provide a child with the things they need to grow, such as shelter, food, hygiene, supervision, medical attention, education or safety.

Effects of child abuse

Emotional scars:  Children who suffer abuse or neglect feel most of the pain on the inside.  Many children suffer low self-esteem and feelings of guilt, often blaming themselves for the abuse.  Children can find it difficult to have trusting relationships and experience loneliness and bullying.  Children often have feelings of hopelessness, hate, despair, misery, and rage, sometimes talking about feeling suicidal or self-harm.

Physical scars:  Children can have direct physical effects such as bruising, cuts, broken bones, health problems, under-nourishment or even, death.

Impact on future wellbeing:  Research shows that children who have suffered abuse are more likely to have lower educational attainment and suffer from drug and alcohol dependency.  Long-term physical and mental health difficulties including depression can be a consequence.  Research shows that many individuals who commit serious offences suffered from abuse during their childhood.

Impact on families: As well as the impact of abuse and neglect on the child themselves, their family can also be affected with family members anxious and unsure about how to support a child who has been abused.  A child’s behaviour and attitudes can be difficult to deal with, and families often struggle to know how to cope.

Psychological impacts

Mental health

Child abuse and neglect can have life-long consequences for a child’s mental health. Problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and mood disorders (depression) are all too common among adolescents who suffered abuse as children; the research shows a strong link between childhood abuse and depression later in life.

Social difficulties

Children who experience abuse and neglect are more likely to form insecure attachments with people and can impact on a child’s ability to trust and communicate with others and form healthy relationships throughout their life.

Child abuse and the law

Child abuse is illegal and should be reported. If you’ve been abused talk to someone you trust, who can help you through the process. You don’t have to face your abuser and talk about it in court. You can give evidence on video, without having to sit through the trauma of a court case.

The Issue of Child Abuse

Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States. It’s a terrible epidemic that we at Childhelp are dedicated to put an end to. To do this, we need to first increase awareness of the issue itself.