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General Definition
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| Child abuse refers to an act committed by a parent, caretaker, or person in a position of trust (even though he or she may not care for the child on a daily basis) which is not accidental and which harms a child’s physical or mental health or a child’s welfare. | Child abuse is most often committed by a family member or someone who is known to the child. |
"...we now think of it in a much broader way as treatment of a
child or parenting practices that cause harm to the child and
violate social norms or conventional practices about the way that
children should be treated."
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David Finkelhor, Ph.D. Director, Family Research Laboratory University of New Hampshire |