at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

For CAPTA, the term child is someone who has not reached the age of 18; or (except in the case of sexual abuse) the age specified by the child protection law of the state in which the child resides.

Within the minimum standards set by CAPTA, each state is responsible for providing its own definitions of child abuse and neglect.

Most states recognize four major types of maltreatment: neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Although any of the forms of child maltreatment may be found separately, they often occur in combination.

Next: Neglect

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Neglect - Physical Abuse

Sexual Abuse - Emotional Abuse

Teen Dating Violence - Help and Support

More Information on Abuse

Animal Cruelty and the Abuse Connection ~ The link between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence.
Bonding and Attachment in Maltreated Children ~ How abuse and neglect in childhood impact social and emotional development.
Child Abuse and Neglect ~ Understanding the reasons why adults hurt children and what can be done to intervene can help protect children from the consequences of abuse or neglect.
Child Abuse: Statistics, Research, and Resources ~ Dr. Jim Hopper's comprehensive page on the prevalence and significance of child abuse.
Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect ~ State-by-State information on the conduct, acts, and omissions that constitute reportable child abuse or neglect.
Mothers and Children: Understanding the Links Between Woman Battering and Child Abuse ~ The studies reviewed here suggest that in 32% to 53% of all families where women are being beaten their children are also the victims of abuse by the same perpetrator. Children who witness domestic violence also suffer social and mental health problems as a result.
Parent Abuse: The Abuse of Parents by Their Teenage Children (pdf) ~ Parent abuse is any harmful act by a teenage child intended to gain power and control over a parent. The abuse can be physical, psychological, or financial.
The Political Consequences of Child Abuse ~ Alice Miller tells us that people subjected to mistreatment in childhood may go on insisting all their lives that beatings are harmless and corporal punishment is salutary although there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Recognizing and identifying patterns caused by abuse ~The process of moving beyond your abuse involves an exchange. You will need to exchange the lies that abuse taught you about yourself, the world and God, for truth.
Teen Victims Statistics - From the National Center for Victims of Crime.
Violence Against Children Worldwide ~ In every region of the world, in almost every aspect of their lives, children are subject to unconscionable violence, most often perpetrated by the very individuals charged with their safety and well-being.
What Are YOU Going to Do About Child Abuse ~ The hard, cold truth is that the protection of children has never been a political priority.

No Momma's Boy: How I Let Go of My Past and Embraced the Future

by Dominic Carter

Tired of of keeping his life-long secrets, author Dominic Carter shares his remarkable and gut-wrenching story of abuse at the hands of his mother. Carter writes, It is often said, 'The truth shall set you free', and uncovering these mysteries in my life has released the shackles of shame. I hope my life story will empower others who have lived through the tangled web of mental illness, sex abuse, and despair. Keep in mind, however, that the truth is still a bitter pill to swallow. For years, my past was an embarrassing secret lodged in my soul . . . [but] I have emerged from our collective misery -- not unscathed, but unbowed. Bloodied, but unbowed.

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