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What is Child Abuse?

There are many different types of abuses including but not limited to emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. For the purposes of this topic, we will define “child” or someone “underage” as anyone under the age of 18 and an “adult” as someone age 18 or older.

Each state in the United States has specific laws and punishments regarding these abuses. These laws outline who / what qualifies as an abuser/perpetrator, survivor/victim, how to make a report, and the definitions of injury. For more information, you may have to research specifics regarding these definitions and laws in the state/territory where you live. There is a wonderful resource called Childhelp that identifies state specific laws and reporting hotlines in the United States:

IDENTIFY ABUSE | Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (childhelphotline.org).

Don’t live in the US?

If you are living outside of the United States your country/region may or may not have similar laws about child protection. You may need to do some research about this in order to determine what is legally allowed for adults who in authority over children. The laws of a land generally reflect the values of that culture, or at least the values of the ruling culture. In fact, it may be dangerous for you to ask questions of law enforcement in your country. The decisions you make to protect yourself from harm will certainly depend on what you find out in your research.

The United States Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines child abuse and neglect as, at 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.”

If you are a victim of any kind of abuse, we want you to find help. However, we also want you to find help SAFELY. Think carefully before planning who to talk to, when and where. Learn as much as you can about your situation where you live and the laws that govern you.

Many youth write to TeenCentral and share their stories asking for definitions of abuse to better understand things they have seen, learned, or experienced. There are so many small differences state by state that we cannot cover them all here. Some acts/failure to act may be investigated by police rather than child welfare agencies.

Regardless, we trust your feelings and encourage you to trust yourself. If you truly feel that you are being harmed, then it is time to get help.

We recommend…

1. Create a supportive network around yourself. This should include a supportive adult who can help get you what you need.
2. Review our WHATS NEW post titled, “Getting Help for Abuse on Your Own”,
3. Find the courage to share your experiences. Seek out a counselor or therapist.
4. Finding a number to talk to someone right away on our HELP PAGE.
5. Call 911 or your Emergency Management System in the country where you live to get immediate help.

Regardless of what laws do or do not state, and regardless of what anyone else tells you –

TeenCentral firmly believes that:

  • It is not okay for an adult to punch, kick, burn, bite, or inhibit the breathing of a child.
  • It is not okay for an adult to have sexual intimacy with, sexually exploit or to share sexual content with anyone underage. It is not okay for an adult to inflict serious emotional harm on a child.

Neglect is another type of abuse where a caregiver fails to provide the basic essentials of life such as adequate shelter, food, weather appropriate clothing, access to education, and medical care to name a few. These essentials part of a child’s basic human rights. A child has the right to protection, education, health care, shelter, clothing, and good nutrition.

This does not mean that your adult guardians are required to:

  • Buy specific clothing/shoes from a specific store. The clothing needs to fit the child and be appropriate for the weather.
  • Buy only the foods, drinks and snacks that you specifically like. The food needs to provide you good nutrition and be enough to sustain your physical health.
  • Provide elective items in your home that you want such as your own room, computer, cell phone, video games, etc. These are not “rights”. Your home must be safe and secure.
  • Give you access to education that is only on your terms such as, if you prefer to attend cybershool or a charter or private school. Your parents must make certain you attend public school at minimum. In fact they are legally required to do so.

We should all practice respecting the boundaries of others and respecting ourselves. If you ever feel you are in immediate danger, don’t wait, call 911 and try to get somewhere safe.

Abuse or Discipline

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Rights or Privileges

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Keeping Yourself Safe

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Animal Abuse

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