Physical Abuse includes any damage done to a child, which is not reasonably explained and is shown by an injury or series of injuries that do not appear to be accidental.  Approximately 3 million reports of possible maltreatment are made to child protective service agencies each year.  In the year 2000, these reports of abuse involved almost 5 million children.  The actual number of cases of abuse and neglect is estimated to be three times the reported amount.

19% of the reported abuses were cases of sexual assault and 10% of the reported cases involved physical abuse.  One or both parents abuse the majority of child victims. On average, sixty percent of abusers are female and forty percent are male.

Physical abuse – Any non-accidental injury to a child. This includes:

• Hitting (with a belt, hand, paddle, etc.), slapping, shaking, burning (for example with cigarettes, a lighter, an iron or the stovetop burner), pinching hard enough to leave a lasting mark
• Kicking, hair pulling, biting hard enough to leave a mark or break the skin, choking, throwing
• Shoving into walls or knocking to the floor, whipping, and paddling

Child sexual abuse – Any sexual act between an adult and child. This includes fondling, penetration, intercourse, exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, child prostitution, group sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sexual acts.