Encyclopedia of Psychology | Child Abuse

The act of harming children by neglect, physical force, violence, sexual attack, or by inflicting psychological or emotional distress.

For much of history, children were considered the property of parents. The family system was rarely, if ever, intervened upon by society. If a mother or father routinely abused their children, the abuse went unnoticed, or if noticed, merely ignored. It was largely considered a parent's prerogative to do whatever he or she wanted with their child.

Over the past several decades, however, the issue and, seemingly, the prevalence of child abuse have become widespread. Psychologists question whether the number of child abuse cases indicates increased occurrences of abuse or increased public awareness that encourages more reporting.

The first detailed account of the abuse of children was published in 1962 by Harry Hemke in an article titled "The Battered Child...