What is Child Abuse?
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Child abuse is when anyone who is under the age of 18 is being either intentionally harmed, or not looked after properly. Abuse can be by an adult, or by another child. It may happen over a long period of time, or be a one off. There isn’t a legal definition of child abuse, but there are laws in place to protect children and adults who suffered abuse in childhood.
The four main types of abuse are: neglect, physical, emotional and sexual. There are many different forms of abuse discussed in this book, but here we will give a quick breakdown of the main four.
Neglect
Neglect is the failure to meet a child’s basic needs by their parent or guardian. This can be psychologically or physically. Neglect may include:
- not providing adequate food, clothing or shelter
- not allowing medical care or treatment
- not protecting a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
- inadequate access to education
- inadequate supervision (including being left at home alone)
Unlike other forms of abuse, n...
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