To misuse, attack, or injure. The abuse may be sexual, physical, or emotional.
Cruel treatment of a child by an adult, including physical and sexual harm.
This traditional term covers the neglect, physical injury, emotional trauma and sexual abuse of a child. Professional staff responsible for the care and well-being of children now refer to physical injury as ‘non-accidental injury’. Child abuse may be carried out by parents, relatives or carers. In England around 36,000 children are on local-authority, social-service department child-protection registers — that is, are regarded as having been abused or at risk of abuse. These registers are due to be replaced by a national on-line database. Physical abuse, or nonaccidental injury, is the most easily recognised form; victims of sexual abuse may not reveal their experiences until adulthood, and often not at all. Where child abuse is suspected, health, social-care and educational professionals have a duty to report the case to the local authority under the terms of the Children Act. The authority has a duty to investigate and this may mean admitting a child to hospital or to local-authority care. Abuse may be the result of impulsive action by adults or it may be premeditated: for example, the continued sexual exploitation of a child over several years. Premeditated physical assault is rare, but is liable to cause serious injury to a child and requires urgent action when identified. The child’s interests are paramount but the parents may well be under severe stress and also require sympathetic handling.