Types of Child Abuse

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) defines four major types of child maltreatment: Neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse.

• Physical Abuse
• Neglect
• Sexual Abuse
• Emotional Abuse

Physical Abuse is physical injury (ranging from minor bruises to severe fractures or death) as a result of punching, beating, shaking, kicking, biting, throwing, stabbing, hitting, burning, choking, or otherwise harming a child. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caretaker intended to hurt the child.

DFPS encourages an individual to suspect physical abuse when he/she sees:

• Frequent injuries such as bruises, cuts, black eyes, or burns without adequate explanation
• Frequent complaints of pain without obvious injury
• Burns or bruises in unusual patterns that may indicate the use of an instrument or human bite; cigarette burns on any part of the body
• Lack of reaction to pain
• Aggressive, disruptive and destructive behavior
• Passive, withdrawn and emotionless behavior
• Fear of going home or seeing parents; injuries that appear after a child has not been seen for several days
• Unreasonable clothing that may hide injuries to arms or legs

Neglect is failure to provide for a child’s basic needs.

DFPS encourages an individual to suspect neglect when he/she sees:

• Obvious malnourishment
• Lack of personal cleanliness
• Torn or dirty clothing
• Begging for food
• Child unattended for long periods of time
• Need for glasses, dental care or other medical attention
• Frequent tardiness or absence from school

Sexual abuse includes activities by a parent, caretaker, acquaintance or stranger such as fondling a child’s genitals, penetration, incest, rape sodomy, indecent exposure and/or commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials.

DFPS encourages an individual to suspect sexual abuse when he/she sees:

• Physical signs of sexually transmitted disease
• Evidence of injury to the genital area
• Pregnancy in a young girl
• Difficulty in sitting or walking
• Frequent expressions of sexual activity between adult and child
• Extreme fear of being alone with adults of a certain sex
• Sexually suggestive, inappropriate or promiscuous behavior
• Knowledge of sexual relations beyond what is expected for a child’s age
• Sexual victimization of other children

Emotional abuse is mental or emotional injury that results in an observable and material impairment in a child’s growth, development or psychological functioning. It includes extreme forms of punishment such as confining a child in a dark closet, habitual scapegoating, belittling and rejecting treatment for a child.

DFPS encourages an individual to suspect emotional abuse when he/she sees:

• Over compliance
• Low self-esteem
• Severe depression, anxiety or aggression
• Difficulty making friends or doing things with other children
• Lagging in physical, emotional and intellectual development
• Caregiver who belittles child, withholds love and seems unconcerned about child’s problems