Child abuse refers to physical and sexual abuse, emotional and psychological dis

tress and neglect by a parent or guardian that can harm a child s health or exploit
the child. Physical abuse includes inflicting pain on a child as a form of punis
hment through beating, burning, hitting, slapping, spanking, pinching, poisoning
or suffocating. Physical child abuse often results from use of corporal punishm
ent in correcting a child s behavior or character. A physically abused child is like
ly to suffer from aggression, a physical injury like permanent scars, trauma, de
pression, and loneliness. In extreme cases, the child may develop a mental disor
der; engage in vices like drug abuse and think of committing suicide.
Sexual abuse can be practiced through; exposing their genitals indecently, forci
ng a child to engage in sex, rubbing a child s genitals, being in contact with the c
hild s genitals and exposing a child to pornography either through making them watch
(pornography tapes) or pressuring them to participate in child pornography. Sex
ually abused children suffer from depression, low self-esteem, physical injury (
to the genitalia), sleeplessness, sexual dysfunction, nightmares, live in fear o
f being abused again, trauma, insecurity and distrust (especially when abused by
a relative) and anxiety. In some cases, sexually abused children may contract s
exually transmitted diseases and suffer from mental illness.
Neglect as a form of child abuse occurs when a parent or custodian fails to prov
ide the child with basic needs like food, clothing, shelter and medication hence
exposing the child to harm or injury. An absent parent or custodian denies the
child of parental love and care and necessities for survival. Neglect as a form
of child abuse can be classified as physical neglect like ignoring a child s cleanli
ness, medical neglect, abandonment, medical neglect, emotional neglect and educa
tional neglect. A neglected child may suffer from aggression, trauma, delayed gr
owth and development, insecurity and failure to develop attachments with others.
In other cases, neglected children engage in crime like theft to survive. This
means that they are more likely to be arrested as juveniles while they engage in
crime. Many of them end up lonely since they cannot develop attachments in rela
tionships. Research has shown that most of neglect victims have difficulties rai
sing their own children especially when they are confronted with reality of prov
iding for them.
Psychological abuse is a non-accidental verbal or symbolic acts by a parent or a
custodian of the child that is likely to lead to psychological harm of the chil
d. (American Psychological Association, 2013). Research has also indicated that
psychological abuse is due to a parent s or custodian s constant loud yelling, subjectiv
e criticism, labeling, torture, public humiliation, scolding, confiscating of it
ems like toys and degrading the child. Psychologically abused children may suffe
r from trauma, aggression, depression and low self-esteem.
Child abuse has been curbed by state laws protecting children and centers to reh
abilitate abused children have played a great role in reducing the effects of th
e victims.