Mennonite Central Committee

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is the deliberate application of force to any part of a child's body, which results or may result in a non-accidental injury. It may involve hitting a child a single time, or it may involve a pattern of incidents.

Physical abuse also includes:

• Beating
• Shaking
• Choking
• Shoving
• Biting
• Kicking
• Burning
• Poisoning a child
• Holding a child under water, etc.
• Or any other harmful or dangerous use of force or restraint

Child physical abuse is usually connected to physical punishment or is confused with child discipline.

 

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