What is child abuse?

Child abuse is physical -- striking, burning, shaking, pushing, throwing, pinching, or biting a child; pulling a child by the hair; cutting off a child's air.

Child abuse is emotional -- belittling, shaming, and humilating a child by means of yelling, threatening, or bullying; withholding love and affection; giving the silent treatment; exposing the child to situations or behavior that cause helplessness and horror.

Child abuse is sexual -- inappropriate fondling, touching, or actual sexual penetration; forcing a child to undress; exposing a child to adult sexuality.

Child abuse is neglect -- consistent failing to provide for a child's basic needs, which endangers a child's physical and psychological well-being, whether intentional or not.

Why does child abuse occur?

Carol K. Sigelman and Elizabeth A. Rider, in Life-Span Human Development, Fifth Edition (2006), writes:

Child abusers tend to have been abused as children. All forms of witnessing or being the target of violence in adults' families of origin predict all forms of perpetration and victimization later in life, suggesting that what children from violent homes learn is that violence is an integral part of human relationships.

Abusive mothers are often battered by their partners. Because adults are more likely to be in an abuse romatic relationship or marriage if they were abused or witnessed abuse as a child, abusive mothers may have learned through their experiences both as children and as wives that violence is the way to solve problems, or they may take out some of their frustrations about being abused on their children.

Abusers are often insecure individuals with low self-esteem. Their unhappy experiences in insecure attachment relationships with their parents, reinforced by their negative experiences in romatic relationships, may lead them to formulate negative internal working models of themselves and others.

Abuse is most likely to occur when a parent is under great stress and has little social support. Life changes such as the loss of a job or a move to a new residence can disrupt family functioning and contribute to abuse or neglect. Abuse rates are highest in deteriorating neighborhoods where families are poor, transient, socially isolated, and lacking in community services and informal social support.

Warning Signs of Child Abuse

Physical signs. Unexplained bruises, welts, or cuts; age-inappropriate injuries; injuries exhibiting a pattern; trouble sitting or standing; stained, bloody or torn underclothes; ill-fitting, dirty clothes and shoes; consistently bad hygiene; untreated illnesses and physical injuries.

Behavioral signs. Fearful; shy away from touch; afraid to go home; behavioral extremes (parenting other children or exhibiting antisocial behavior); inappropriate age behaviors; knowledge or interest in sexual acts; destructive behaviors to self; frequent tardiness; withdrawn and passive or troublesome and disruptive.

The lasting impact of child abuse are many. Sigelman and Rider (2006) summarizes:

Physically abused and otherwise maltreated children tend to have many problems, ranging from physical injuries and cognitive and social deficits to behavioral problems and psychological disorders. Shaking and other physically abusive behaviors can cause brain damage in infants and young children, the stress of either being abused or witnessing abuse can interfere with normal brain development, and child neglect means receiving little of the intellectual stimulation from nurturing adults that contributes so much to intellectual growth.