What is Physical Child Abuse?

Physical child abuse is an injury resulting from physical aggression. Even if the injury was not
intended, the act is considered physical abuse. The injury from physical child abuse may be the
result of:

 Beating, slapping, or hitting.

 Pushing, shaking, kicking, or throwing.

 Pinching, biting, choking, or hair-pulling.

 Burning with cigarettes, scalding water, or other hot objects.

 Severe physical punishment.

Is physical punishment the same as physical abuse?

Physical abuse is an injury resulting from physical aggression. Physical punishment is the use of
physical force with the intent of inflicting bodily pain, but not injury, for the purpose of correction or
control. As you can see, physical punishment can easily get out of control and become physical
abuse.
Some other specific types of physical child abuse are:

 Shaken Baby Syndrome - Shaking a baby or toddler can cause serious head injuries.

 Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome - Inducing medical illness in a child or wrongly convincing

others that a child is sick is both dangerous and abusive.

 Drug use during pregnancy - Drug and alcohol use during pregnancy or lactation can be
harmful to your child, leading to problems such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Hundreds of thousands of children are physically abused each year by someone close to them, and
thousands of children die from the injuries. For those who survive, the emotional scars are deeper
than the physical scars.

Some Signs of Physical Child Abuse

 Burns, bite marks, cuts, bruises, or welts in the shape of an object.

 Resistance to going home.

 Fear of adults.