Child abuse

Child abuse, literally, is the act of intentionally harming a child, or the results of that act. Generally, it the active thread in the unfortunate saga of the overall abuse and neglect of children. Such abuse and neglect has probably always been a feature of childhood for some individuals in every human society. The role of children in society is not constant in different cultures and has changed considerable within modern cultures over time. However, child abuse also has specific legal meanings, that, like all legal meanings, have some degree of geographic and cultural variability.