Physical Abuse

• Physical abuse involves physical harm or injury to the child.
• It may be the result of a deliberate attempt to hurt the child, but not always.
• It can also result from severe discipline, such as using a belt on a child, or physical punishment that is inappropriate to the child’s age or physical condition.

Physical Abuse vs. Discipline

In physical abuse, unlike physical forms of discipline, the following elements are present:

• Unpredictability
• Lashing out in anger
• Using fear to control