CHILD ABUSE

Definitions of what constitutes child abuse vary among professionals and between social and cultural groups, as well as across time.[1][2] The terms abuse and maltreatment are often used interchangeably in the literature.[3]:11 Child maltreatment can also be an umbrella term covering all forms of child abuse and child neglect.[4] Defining child maltreatment depends on prevailing cultural values as they relate to children, child development, and parenting.[5] Definitions of child maltreatment can vary across the sectors of society which deal with the issue,[5] such as child protection agencies, legal and medical communities, public health officials, researchers, practitioners, and child advocates. Since members of these various fields tend to use their own definitions, communication across disciplines can be limited, hampering efforts to identify, assess, track, treat, and prevent child maltreatment