Definition

Noun: - The physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment of children: This term refers to any act, or failure to act, by a parent, caregiver, or other person that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child.

Usage

• The term "child abuse" is a non-count noun used to describe the general concept or category of mistreatment.
• It is commonly used in legal, social work, medical, and psychological contexts.
• It often appears with verbs like: , , , , .

Examples

• Noun:
  • The teacher is legally obligated to report any suspected child abuse.
  • Efforts to raise awareness about child abuse have increased in recent decades.
  • The psychological effects of child abuse can last a lifetime.

Advanced Usage

• "cycle of child abuse": A pattern where individuals who were abused as children may become abusers themselves.
  • The social program aims to break the cycle of child abuse.
• Used in formal compound terms within specific fields:
  • child abuse prevention, child abuse allegations, child abuse trauma

Variants and Related Words

• Abuse (n/v): Mistreatment of someone. While "abuse" can be broader, "child abuse" specifies the victim.
• Child neglect (n): A specific form of child abuse involving the failure to provide for a child's basic needs.
• Maltreatment (n): A formal synonym for abuse, often used interchangeably with "child maltreatment."

Synonyms

• Child maltreatment (more formal, often used in academic/clinical writing)
• Cruelty to children

Related Phrases

• Institutional child abuse: Abuse that occurs within organizations like schools or churches.
  • The inquiry investigated decades of institutional child abuse.
• Emotional child abuse: A subtype involving psychological harm.
  • The court recognized that sustained criticism constituted emotional child abuse.

Important Notes

• "Child abuse" is a grave term with serious legal and social implications. It should be used with precision and sensitivity.
• It functions as a singular concept; one does not typically say "child abuses" to refer to multiple instances. Instead, use phrases like "cases of child abuse" or "incidents of abuse."

Noun

1. the physical or emotional or sexual mistreatment of children