Child Protective Services

What Is Child Abuse and Neglect?

Child abuse is the purposeful physical injury inflicted on a child by a parent, guardian, or another adult. Child neglect is any treatment or mistreatment that threatens the child's health, safety or welfare. Abuse and neglect can be categorized as follows:

Sexual Abuse: any sexual act by an adult in the presence of a child or to a child

Physical Abuse: bodily injury inflicted on a child by other than accidental means

Emotional Abuse: non-physical mistreatment that endangers a child's emotional health

General Neglect: failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment or supervision where no physical injury to the child has occurred

Severe Neglect: refers to situations where the child's health and life is endangered, including severe malnutrition and failure to thrive

Exploitation: forcing or coercing a child into performing activities that are beyond the child's capabilities or which are illegal or degrading