Child Abuse
What is child abuse?
Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child. There are many forms of child maltreatment, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and emotional abuse.
There are four different types of child abuse:
1. physical abuse
2. sexual abuse
3. emotional abuse
4. neglect.
Child abuse can be a single incident, or can be a number of different incidents that take place over time.
Under the Child Protection Act 1999, it does not matter how much a child is harmed, but whether a child:
has suffered harm, is suffering harm, or is at risk of suffering harm
does not have a parent able and willing to protect them from harm.
Harm is defined as any detrimental effect of a significant nature on the child's physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing (section 9 of the Child Protection Act 1999). For harm to be significant, the detrimental effect on a child's wellbeing must be substantial or serious, more than transitory and must be demonstrable in the child's presentation, functioning or behaviour.
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