Child abuse and neglect are any act or failure to act that endangers a child’s physical or emotional health and development. Child abuse often takes place within the home and involves a person the child knows quite well, such as a relative, babysitter, friend or acquaintance.
Neglect
Failure to provide for a child’s basic needs—physical, educational, and / or emotional.
Physical Abuse
Injury as a result of hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, or otherwise harming a child.
Emotional Abuse
Any pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth, including constant criticism, threats, and rejection.
Sexual Abuse
Indecent exposure, fondling, rape, or commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic material.
Although the presence of certain risk factors can increase the likelihood of child abuse, their existence does not automatically lead to abuse. Rather, recent research suggests that child abuse arises from the interaction of risk factors which compounds stress and parenting challenges within families.
Take Action to identify and prevent abuse
Children are often afraid or ashamed to tell anyone or may not understand that what is happening to them is wrong. Certain behavioral and physical signs can indicate abuse and should lead you to look further.
How Toxic Stress Impacts a Child
Toxic stress can occur when a child experiences strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity—such as physical or emotional abuse, or chronic neglect—and it can harm their brains and bodies.