INTRODUCTION
Types of Abuse
Notes:
Child maltreatment is commonly divided into five main subtypes:
- physical abuse;
- emotional abuse;
- neglect;
- sexual abuse; and
- the witnessing of family violence.
Information:
Classifying child abuse is useful so that we can talk about the indicators of abuse – but it’s important to remember that rarely do any of these types of abuse occur without one of the others. For example, a child who is physically or sexually abused surely suffers emotional abuse due to the betrayal of trust and psychological harm caused.
It’s also very common for an act of abuse to involve two or more types of abuse such as when a sexual abuser uses physical force against a victim. The lines can also be blurred – sometimes for example, a failure to provide stimulation and nurturing can be emotional abuse and neglect.
