Child Abuse and Neglect

Table of Contents

1. Child Abuse and Neglect
2. What is Child Abuse and Neglect?
3. Physical Abuse
4. Sexual Abuse
   1. Behavioral indicators of sexual abuse
   2. Evaluation of suspected sexual abuse
   3. Physical findings in sexual abuse examinations
   4. Evaluation of acute sexual assault
   5. Sequelae of sexual abuse
5. Child Neglect
6. When you suspect abuse or neglect
7. Domestic Violence and Children
8. Preventing Child Abuse
9. References

Sexual Abuse

About 1 out of every 4 girls and 1 in 8 boys experience some form of unwanted sexual contact during their childhood years. Most perpetrators are family members, and most sexual abuse occurs within the privacy of the family's home. Sexual abuse of children is widespread in all socioeconomic groups and geographic areas of the US, and health care providers need to maintain a high level of alertness for its occurrence.