illustration photo of child abuse

Child abuse is the physical, psychological or sexual maltreatment of children. While most child abuse happens in the child\'s home, a significant portion also occurs in organizations involving children, such as churches, schools, child care businesses, and residential schools.There are four major categories of child abuse: neglect, physical abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. There are different subcategories within each type of abuse. Since there are many forms of abuse and neglect, many governments have developed their own legal definition of what constitutes child maltreatment for the purposes of removing a child and/or prosecuting a criminal charge. Photo by Rafael Ben-Ari/Chameleons Eye