What is child abuse and neglect?

Child abuse is where an adult uses his or her power to harm a child.  There are four broad types of abuse used to describe the different ways in which children are harmed:

Physical Abuse:  where children’s bodies are hurt or injured by, for example, hitting, kicking and beating.  It can cause pain, cuts, bruising, broken bones and sometimes even death.

Emotional Abuse: includes degrading punishment, sarcasm, threats and not giving love and attention.  All of these can undermine a child or young person’s confidence.

Sexual Abuse: describes when children are forced or persuaded into sexual acts or situations by others.

Neglect: is when children’s basic needs, such as food, warmth, medical care, clothing and hygiene, are not met.