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What is Child Abuse


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What is Child Abuse?

Most children enjoy happy childhood experiences within their own family, but unfortunately for some, this is not the case. During difficult times, everyone who knows the child must do the best they can to protect them from harm. The welfare and safety of children is everyone’s responsibility.

Abuse and neglect are forms of ill-treatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by not taking action to protect a child from harm.

Children may be harmed at home, by people living near their home (in their community) or by an adult who is responsible for caring for them in any place away from home such as school, nursery, college, sports and leisure centres, after-school clubs, youth clubs, which is why it is really important to work together to keep children safe. Sometimes children are abused by a stranger they have met over the internet. They may also be abused by another child or children.

Abuse may be physical, sexual, emotional or neglect. Some examples of each type of abuse are described below;