Understand and Responding Child Abuse

Sexual abuse is the forced and undesired sexual behaviour from one person onto another and/or sexual activity that can be deemed as inappropriate and/or harmful

Sexual abuse can be defined as an unwanted sexual act that has been forced on a

Physical Abuse is when, a person inflicts physical force that is non-accidental and results in pain, impairment or bodily injury.

Unwanted advances, indecent exposure or harassment, rough washing or touching of the genital area, rape, being forced to watch or participate in sexual acts.

* Emotional abuse. Threats of harm, controlling, intimidation verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks.

Physical abuse - is use of physical force that may result in pain or injury this can range from poking, pushing, pulling hair and hitting this can be with hands or weapons there are many more forms of physical abuse.

Sexual abuse – knowingly causing someone to engage in an unwanted sexual act by force or threat

Sexual abuse usually refers to any sexual activity that is unwanted and is inflicted by physical force or other methods of coercion such as threats or intimidation.

Abuse is any form of mistreatment by any other person or even persons that will violate an individual 's basic human and civil rights. The abuse can vary, from treating someone with disrespect in a way that significantly affects the person 's quality of life, to causing actual physical or mental suffering, either over a short term or a long term of time, clearly the longer it goes on the worse the

Sexual abuse-Direct or indirect involvement in sexual activity without valid consent. Consent to a particular activity may not be given because the individual doesn’t wish to consent, lacks capacity and is unable to consent or feels coerced into an activity because the other person is in a position of trust power or authority.

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse, this also includes via the internet. Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males, Women and other children can also commit acts of sexual abuse. This type of abuse is usually committed by someone known to the victim not just by sexual predators. It is important to remember that boys as well as girls can also be the victim of sexual abuse. The signs of sexual abuse as with emotional abuse may not be outwardly visible, because of the shame and self-blame a child will have if this is happening or has happened to them, makes it very difficult for a child

Physical abuse is an act of another party involving contact intended to cause feelings of physical pain, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.

An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today (Darness2Light, 2009a ). This figure continues to grow daily as perpetrators of this crime continue in this destructive path. The definition of child sexual abuse is the force, coercion, or cajoling of children into sexual activities by a dominant adult or adolescent. Sexual abuse of children includes touching (physical) sexually including: fondling; penetration (vaginal or anal using fingers, foreign objects or offenders organs; oral sex, or non-physical contact including: sexual comments; indecent exposures; masturbating in a child’s presence; child prostitution or child pornography (Child Welfare, 2009a).

Abuse is behaviour towards a person which deliberately or unintentionally causes harm to them. It is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights and in the worst cases can result in death.

Sexual abuse refers to any action that pressures or coerced someone to participate in a sexual act that the individual does