What is child abuse?

The 2018 HM Government report, ‘Working together to safeguard children’, defines “[child] abuse” as:

“A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others. Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children”.

A woman holding her head in her hands
A child holding their head in their hands

Child abuse is typically defined in four main categories:

  • Emotional abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Neglect

The above is just the tip of the iceberg when we describe child abuse and it comes in many forms.  Each survivor will also process their abuse in different ways. At Support for Survivors, we’re unified by our differences and help each person on a case-by-case basis.