Child abuse

Child abuse is a violation if human rights, defined as an act, or failure to act, on the part of a parent, guardian, and/or caregiver that results in the death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation of a child, or which places the child in an imminent risk of serious harm, and/or seriously impacts the child's long-term development and potential.

Child maltreatment encompasses physical, sexual (including sex trafficking), and emotional/psychological abuse and neglect.

Approximately 4.4 million children are reported to Child Protective Services each year, with about 9 out of 1,000 children in the US found to have evidence of maltreatment after investigation, and 9.2% of victimized children experiencing sexual assault. The global prevalence of self-reported child physical abuse is estimated to range from 7% to 19%.

Risk factors for child maltreatment include child factors (chronic illness, emotional or behavioral difficulties, physical disabilities, preterm birth, unplanned or unwanted pregnancy), caregiver factors (young parental age, criminal history, alcohol or substance abuse, depression or other mental health issues, poor impulse control, history of abuse, unrealistic expectations for the child, poor knowledge of the child, negative perception of normal childhood behavior, low educational attainment, low self-esteem), home environment (family or intimate partner violence, non-biologically related adult living in the home, single-parent home), and community environment (poverty, social isolation, or lack of social support).

Common findings of physical abuse include signs of non-accidental trauma such as bite marks, skin and mucosal abrasions, lacerations, and bruises (commonly on the head and face, as well as on ear, neck, torso, buttocks, or upper arms), patterned burns (object contact burns, scalding immersion burns), fractures (ribs, sternum, long bones, vertebrae, scapulae, or skull), and head trauma. Signs of sexual abuse include dysuria, genital or anal pain or bleeding, symptoms of STIs, and pregnancy. Children may present with anxiety, distress, or unwillingness to undress or be examined.

Abusive head trauma is a sequelae of child physical abuse which can result in often permanent and significant brain damage. The fatality rate from child abuse is estimated at 2.87 per 100,000 boys and 2.11 per 100,000 girls.