Definition of Alcohol abuse

Alcohol abuse: Use of alcoholic beverages to
excess, either on individual occasions ("binge drinking")
or as a regular practice. For some individuals-children or
pregnant women, for example-almost any amount of alcohol
use may be legally considered "alcohol abuse," depending on
local laws. Heavy alcohol abuse can cause physical damage
and death.

Definition of Abuse, verbal child

Abuse, verbal child: Also known as emotional child abuse,
this is the third most frequently reported form of child abuse (after
child neglect and physical child abuse), accounting 17% of all cases
of child abuse.
It is likely that emotional child abuse is greatly underreported,
since it can be difficult to detect and difficult to document.
Emotional child abuse includes acts of commission or omission by
the parents and other caregivers that could cause the child to have
serious behavioral, emotional, or mental disorders. In some instances
of emotional child abuse, the acts of parents or other caregivers
alone, without any harm yet evident in the child's behavior or
condition, are sufficient to warrant the intervention of child
protective services. For example, the parents or caregivers may use
extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement of a
child in a dark closet.
Emotional child abuse is also sometimes termed psychological child
abuse or mental injury of a child.

Definition of Abuse, substance

Abuse, substance: See: Substance abuse.

Definition of Abuse, sexual child

Abuse, sexual child: Child abuse comprises four basic types of mistreatment: child neglect, physical abuse of a child, emotional abuse of a child, and sexual abuse of a child.

Sexual abuse is the least frequently reported form of child abuse (6% of all cases). Experts believe that sexual abuse may be the most underreported type of child maltreatment because of the secrecy, the "conspiracy of silence" that so often surrounds these cases.

Sexual abuse includes fondling a child's genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials.

The diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sexual child abuse are complex. Several points might be made here:

The diagnosis of sexual child abuse involves a thorough nonjudgmental history of the immediate events as well as a review of potential similar experiences often independently done by a physician, social worker, and the police department. A complete physical exam of the child which may include the taking of photographs to document sexual abuse is necessarily followed by x-rays and possible laboratory tests.

Pedophiles (people who sexually abuse children) often require intense psychological and pharmacological therapy prior to release into the community, because of the high rate of repeat offenders.

Children's school programs regarding "good touch...bad touch" can provide parents and other caregivers with a forum in which to role-play and learn to avoid potentially harmful scenarios.

Parents should make sure that their child's daycare center/preschool is licensed and has an open door policy regarding parental visitation.

Definition of Abuse, psychological child

Abuse, psychological child: Also known as emotional child
abuse, this is the third most frequently reported form of child abuse
(after child neglect and physical child abuse), accounting 17% of all
cases of child abuse.
It is likely that emotional child abuse is greatly underreported,
since it can be difficult to detect and difficult to document.
Emotional child abuse includes acts of commission or omission by
the parents and other caregivers that could cause the child to have
serious behavioral, emotional, or mental disorders. In some instances
of emotional child abuse, the acts of parents or other caregivers
alone, without any harm yet evident in the child's behavior or
condition, are sufficient to warrant the intervention of child
protective services. For example, the parents or caregivers may use
extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement of a
child in a dark closet.
Emotional child abuse is also sometimes termed verbal child abuse
or mental injury of a child.

Definition of Abuse, pregnancy

Abuse, pregnancy: Abuse of an expectant mother. This abuse is most often perpetrated by the woman's spouse, partner, or relative. Spurts of temper can progress to shouting and name calling. Then pushing and shoving. The use of physical violence can start a pattern. It is estimated that 1 in 12 pregnant women is battered. Most cases of pregnancy abuse are not reported because the woman who was beaten is afraid or ashamed or is dependent on the abuser.

Pregnancy abuse is not only bad for the pregnant woman, it may also affect the health of her unborn baby. In a study of 1,004 women interviewed within 3 days of delivery, over 5% reported they had been abused during their pregnancy by their partners. The maternal abuse showed a significant correlation with the baby's low birth weight. Pregnant women who had been abused by their partners were more likely to deliver low birth weight babies. Low birth weight babies have more health problems than infants born at normal weight. (Reference: American Journal of Epidemiology 1999;150:714-726.)

Definition of Abuse, physical child

Abuse, physical child: Next to child neglect, physical
abuse is the second most frequently reported form of child abuse,
accounting for 25% of all cases of child abuse.

Physical child abuse is physical injury inflicted upon the child
with cruel and/or malicious intent. Physical abuse can be the result
of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking, or otherwise
harming a child physically.

The parent or caretaker who abused the child may not have intended
to hurt the child, but rather the child's injury may have resulted
from overly harsh discipline or physical punishment. There is, in
this regard, a substantial debate going on about certain forms
physical discipline such as spanking and slapping and their
relationship to more orthodox forms of physical abuse.

Definition of Abuse, emotional child

Abuse, emotional child: Emotional child abuse is the third
most frequently reported form of child abuse (after child neglect and
physical child abuse), accounting 17% of all cases of child abuse.
It is likely that emotional child abuse is greatly underreported,
since it can be difficult to detect and difficult to document.
Emotional child abuse includes acts of commission or omission by
the parents and other caregivers that could cause the child to have
serious behavioral, emotional, or mental disorders. In some instances
of emotional child abuse, the acts of parents or other caregivers
alone, without any harm yet evident in the child's behavior or
condition, are sufficient to warrant the intervention of child
protective services. For example, the parents/caregivers may use
extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement of a
child in a dark closet.
Emotional child abuse is also sometimes termed psychological child
abuse, verbal child abuse, or mental injury of a child.

Definition of Abuse, elder

Abuse, elder: See: Elder abuse.

Definition of Abuse, child

Abuse, child: Child abuse is a very complex and dangerous
set of problems that include child neglect and the physical,
emotional, and sexual abuse of children.
Child neglect is the most frequently reported form of child
abuse and the most lethal. This form of abuse is defined as the
failure to provide for the shelter, safety, supervision and
nutritional needs of the child. Child neglect can be physical,
educational, or emotional neglect.
Physical neglect includes refusal of or delay in seeking health
care, abandonment, expulsion from the home or refusal to allow a
runaway to return home, and inadequate supervision.
Educational neglect includes the allowance of chronic truancy,
failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school, and
failure to attend to a special educational need.
Emotional neglect includes such actions as marked inattention to
the child's needs for affection, refusal of or failure to provide
needed psychological care, spouse abuse in the child's presence, and
permission of drug or alcohol use by the child.
Physical abuse is the second most frequently reported form
of child abuse and is defined as physical injury inflicted upon the
child with cruel and/or malicious intent. Physical abuse can be the
result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking, or
otherwise harming a child. The parent or caretaker may not have
intended to hurt the child, rather the injury may have resulted from
over-discipline or physical punishment.
Emotional abuse is the third most frequently reported form
of child abuse and includes acts or omissions by the parents or other
caregivers that could cause serious behavioral, emotional, or mental
disorders. For example, the parents/caregivers may use extreme or
bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement of a child in a dark
closet.
Emotional child abuse is also sometimes termed psychological child
abuse, verbal child abuse, or mental injury of a child.
Sexual abuse is the least frequently reported form of child
abuse and is believed to be the most under-reported type of child
maltreatment because of the secrecy or "conspiracy of silence" that
so often characterizes these cases. Sexual abuse includes fondling a
child's genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism,
and commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of
pornographic materials.
Fatal injuries from maltreatment can result from many different
acts including severe head trauma (injury), shaken baby syndrome,
trauma to the abdomen or chest, scalding, burns, drowning,
suffocation, poisoning, etc.
Factors affecting the likelihood of potential abuse and
predisposing to child abuse include:

The abuser's childhood: child abusers often were abused as
children.
The abuser's substance abuse: at least half of all child abuse
cases involve some degree of substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc) by
the child's parents.
Family stress: the disintegration of the nuclear family and its
inherent support systems has been held to be associated with child
abuse.
Social forces: experts debate whether a postulated reduction in
religious/moral values coupled with an increase in the depiction of
violence by the entertainment and informational media may increase
child abuse.
The child: children at higher risk for child abuse include
infants who are felt to be "overly fussy", handicapped children, and
children with chronic diseases.
Specific "trigger" events that occur just before many fatal
parental assaults on infants and young children include: an infant's
inconsolable crying, feeding difficulties, a toddler's failed toilet
training, and exaggerated parental perceptions of acts of
"disobedience" by the child.
Children can be neglected and abused by parents, other caregivers,
or society.
Child abuse should be reported, investigated and evaluated.
The treatment and prevention of child abuse include a support
group structure coupled with visiting nurse home visits to reinforce
good parenting skills and monitor the child's well-being. Children's
school programs regarding "good touch...bad touch" can provide
parents with a forum in which to role-play and learn to avoid
potentially harmful scenarios. Parents should make sure that their
child's daycare center is licensed and has an open door policy
regarding parental visitation. The best strategy is to prevent child
abuse.
Not until the 19th century were children granted the same legal
status as domesticated animals in regard to protection against
cruelty and/or neglect. In 1962 the term "battered child syndrome"
entered medicine. By 1976 all states in the United States had adopted
laws mandating the reporting of suspected instances of child
abuse.