Child Abuse:

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia:

     Different jurisdictions have developed their own definitions of what constitutes child abuse for the purposes of removing a child from his/her family and/or prosecuting a criminal charge. The Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect states that child abuse is defined as "any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm".

     Child abuse is the physical or psychological/emotional mistreatment of children. In the United States, the C.D.C. {Centers for Disease Control and Prevention} define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. Most child abuse occurs in the child's home, with a smaller amount occurring in organizations, schools or communities that the child interacts with. There are four major categories of child abuse:

Neglect:

     Neglect is the instance in which the responsible adult fails to adequately provide for various needs, including physical (failure to provide adequate food, clothing, or hygiene), emotional (failure to provide nurturing or affection) or educational (failure to enroll a child in school).

Physical Abuse:

     Physical abuse is physical aggression directed at a child by an adult. It can involve striking, burning, choking or shaking a child. The transmission of toxins to a child through its mother (such as with fetal alcohol syndrome) can also be considered physical abuse in some jurisdictions.

     The use of any kind of force against children as a disciplinary measure is illegal in 24 countries around the world.

Psychological / Emotional Abuse:

     Out of all the different forms of abuse, emotional abuse is the hardest to identify. This form of abuse includes name-calling, ridicule, degradation, destruction of personal belongings, torture or destruction of a pet, excessive criticism, inappropriate or excessive demands, withholding communication, and routine labeling or humiliation.

Sexual Abuse:

     Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent abuses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of CSA include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities (regardless of the outcome), indecent exposure of the genitals to a child, displaying pornography to a child, actual sexual contact against a child, physical contact with the child's genitals, viewing of the child's genitalia without physical contact, or using a child to produce child pornography.

     The effects of child sexual abuse include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, propensity to re-victimization in adulthood, and physical injury to the child, among other problems. Sexual abuse by a family member is a form of incest, and can result in more serious and long-term psychological trauma, especially in the case of parental incest. Child sexual abuse, is also strongly connected to the development of Complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.

     Approximately 15% to 25% of women and 5% to 15% of men were sexually abused when they were children. Most sexual abuse offenders are acquainted with their victims; approximately 30% are relatives of the child, most often brothers, fathers, uncles or cousins; around 60% are other acquaintances such as friends of the family, babysitters, or neighbors; strangers are the offenders in approximately 10% of child sexual abuse cases.

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     Family Watch Dog invites you to use there free service to locate registered sex offenders in your area. Just enter an address and they'll show a map. You can click on the squares that appear and see photos (where available) addresses, convictions and other information about the offender.

www.familywatchdog.us

Please NOTE:

     The Table below has been set up for your convenience and is very simple to use.. Just left click on the STATE and you will be taken to that State`s Child Abuse Reporting System / or / you can call the Telephone Number/s that we have provided for you.