Child Abuse (cont.)
What actions are viewed as physical child abuse?
Physical abuse is the second most frequently reported form of
child abuse (16% of all cases).
This form of mistreatment is defined as willful (as opposed to
accidental) physical injury inflicted upon the child. Physical abuse
can be the result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning,
shaking, or otherwise harming the child's body. The parent or
caretaker may not have intended to hurt the child; rather, the injury
may have resulted from excessive disciplinary efforts or physical
punishment.
There exists a significant controversy regarding physical methods
of discipline (for example, spanking) and their relationship to more orthodox
forms of physical abuse. A unique form of physical child abuse is Munchausen syndrome by proxy. In this situation, a parent will purposely either invent symptoms and falsify records (for
example, fever) resulting in unnecessary tests, hospitalizations, and even surgical procedures. This psychiatric illness of the parent(s) requires a high index of suspicion, and its consideration is part of the investigation of any child with recurrent complaints that are not supported by physical or laboratory findings.
What constitutes emotional child abuse?
Isolated emotional abuse is the least frequently reported form of
child abuse (7% of all cases). This form is felt to be markedly
underreported since it can be difficult to detect and document.
However, since it is a component of all forms of child abuse, it is the most pervasive of all the previously listed forms of child abuse. There are several categories of emotional abuse and they may occur as unique experiences or together in the same child. They include
- rejecting (for example, refusing to acknowledge the child's worth and emotional needs),
- isolation (denying the child social experiences: locking child in the closet is an extreme example),
- terrorizing (verbal assault with or without weapons),
- ignoring (refusing to show affection),
- corrupting (reinforcing destructive, antisocial, or sexually exploitative behaviors),
- verbal assault (extreme sarcasm, name calling, public humiliation), and
- over-pressuring (criticism of age-appropriate behaviors/skills as inadequate).
Emotional child abuse is also sometimes termed psychological child
abuse, verbal child abuse, or mental injury of a child.
Next: What is sexual child abuse? »
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