Child Abuse

Child abuse is any behaviour that harms a child. It can take into many forms, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, as well as negligence and exploitation. There are four main types of abuse:

  • Physical abuse: Any use of physical force on a child that doesn’t happen by accident and causes harm. Hitting, beating, punching, biting, burning, scratching, strangling or choking a child are all comes under child abuse.
  • Sexual abuse: Any type of sexual involvement or contact between an adult and a child. Sexual abuse can be voyeurism, sexual acts, and sex between family members.
  • Emotional abuse: A pattern of rejecting a child's love, acceptance, and security, or mistreating a child in the way an adult talks to them or acts towards them. Bullying, yelling, isolating, ignoring, criticizing, terrorizing, and shaming are all types of emotional abuse.
  • Neglect: Failing to provide children with the things that are useful for their growth such as shelter, food, hygiene, supervision, medical attention, education or safety.