Module 4:
Defining
Child Abuse

Child abuse includes behaviour that results in physical,
emotional and sexual harm to a child or young person
• Can be a single incident or a number of incidents
• May be intentional or unintentional
• Can result from a combination of factors that have placed the
child at risk of harm
• Occurs across all socio-economic groups
• Is most often perpetrated by someone known by the child.

Emotional
Physical
Sexual Neglect
Forms of Child Abuse

• A child seeing or hearing domestic and family violence
(DVF) is a form of child abuse.
• It can have a significant emotional and psychological
impact on the child.
• There's a risk of the child being physically harmed,
whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Emotional

Neglect
Neglect occurs when a child's basic necessities of life
are not being met and their health and development
are affected.

Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when abuse leads to non-
accidental physical injury or harm

Emotional Abuse
Emotional Abuse occurs when a child is repeatedly
made to feel worthless, unloved, alone or scared.

Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse/exploitation occurs when someone
involves, forces, pressures or coerces a child in any
kind of sexual activity.

Relationships between types of child abuse
and emotional harm
• Abuse rarely happens as a single type of abuse
• All forms of abuse have a degree of emotional harm
• Can result from a combination of factors that have
placed the child at risk of harm
• The extent of harm will vary for every child.

Effects of Abuse
• Not only does abuse significantly impact on the child, it
also impacts on the family and the child's wider
community eg. workplace, school, sports, parish and
social groups.
Child
• development
• learning
• emotions
• behaviour
• social interactions
Family
• home life
• parental health
• emotions
• behaviours
• relationships
Community
• school/classroom
• peers
• community
• neighbours
• workplace