Child abuse

Summary 

Child abuse is a wide-ranging concept that can be defined as ‘anything that hinders the optimal development of the child’. This includes physical abuse (non-accidental injury (NAI)), emotional abuse and deprivation, and child sexual abuse (CSA). It also includes abuse by agencies other than parents, e.g., professionals, systems and politicians. Child abuse work is a challenging and vitally important area of responsibility for all paediatricians. There have been several recent high-profile cases where the careers and reputations of senior paediatricians have been threatened because of their involvement in child protection work. These cases show the need for much greater professional protection for paediatricians in their continued commitment to child protection work. Despite these high-profile cases, it should be stressed that child protection work can provide the paediatrician with some of the most dramatic opportunities to help change children's lives for the better.

Keywords: Child abuse, Non-accidental injury, NAI, Emotional abuse, Emotional deprivation, Child sexual abuse, CSA, Child abuse by professionals, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy