Child Abuse

What Is Child Abuse?

Child abuse refers to actions or failures to act that cause harm to a child, which may include neglecting their needs.

Girls experience higher rates of childhood abuse than boys do. Over 8 out of every 1,000 girls are at a higher risk of child abuse compared to just 7 out of 1,000 women, per the National Children’s Alliance.

Here’s what to know about child abuse:

• Roughly 1 in 4 girls experience child sexual abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Women are more likely to report Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as child sexual abuse, as well as mental and emotional problems as adults, compared to men.
• Child abuse is linked to worse health outcomes later in life, such as a higher risk of heart issues, pain, and even premature mortality.
• Among teenage offenders, girls had higher rates of all types of child abuse and neglect compared to boys in a study from the Journal of Family Violence.
• Child abuse lawsuits help survivors heal and get financial restitution from perpetrators.

Child maltreatment can occur once or over time. Abuse often involves caregivers or family members but may also involve others in positions of trust. Younger girls and those with disabilities may face higher risk.

The impacts of child abuse can have long-term or permanent impacts on a woman’s life moving forward. At Her Case Matters, we’re here to help women affected by child abuse understand their options and, if eligible, take action to start healing.

Types of Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse and neglect can take many forms, and they do not always look the same in every situation. Understanding these types can help caregivers and loved ones recognize when a child may be at risk.

Child Neglect

Child neglect occurs when basic needs are not met. It is the most common form of child abuse, accounting for 79% of cases, according to the National Children’s Alliance.

Examples of child neglect may include:

Lack of access to food or water
Not treating medical issues promptly
Not supervising children properly, leading to preventable harm
Driving under the influence with a child in the car

Potential signs of child neglect include poor hygiene, untreated medical needs, chronic hunger, lack of supervision, or frequent school absences.

Chronic neglect is linked to long-term effects on a child’s overall development and functioning.

“Research clearly shows that young children who experience long periods of severe neglect or deprivation have more severe cognitive impairments, language deficits, academic problems, withdrawn behavior, and problems interacting with peers when compared to child victims of physical maltreatment.”
– American Bar Association

Emotional Child Abuse

Emotional abuse involves behaviors that harm a child’s emotional well-being. Emotional abuse can affect self-worth, behavior, and mental health.

Examples of emotional child abuse include:

• Constant criticism
• Dismissal or denial of the child’s emotions
• Intimidation
• Isolation
• Threats
• Yelling or screaming

Extreme withdrawal, anxiety, low self-esteem, frequent self-blame, or delayed emotional development are all potential signs of emotional child abuse.

Women who suffered emotional abuse as children may struggle with severe or chronic mental health issues later in life, including depression, anxiety, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). They’re also at a greater risk of physical health issues and substance use disorders.

Physical Child Abuse

Physical abuse involves intentional physical harm to a child. Women who have experienced childhood physical abuse are at a higher risk of a range of health issues in adult life, including sleep issues, cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, and even asthma, per Cureus.

Examples of physical child abuse include:

• Burning
• Dropping
• Hitting
• Kicking
• Slapping
• Shaking
• Using physical punishment

Signs of physical abuse to watch for include unexplained bruises, burns, fractures, frequent injuries, or fear of certain adults.

Sexual Child Abuse (SA)

Child sexual abuse involves sexual activity or sexual contact with a child. Children cannot consent to sexual behavior. Any sexual acts involving a child are abuse.

Girls experience child SA at higher rates than boys. Up to 12 million girls and women under age 20 have experienced sexual mistreatment, per Cureus. Girls who suffer from sexual abuse in childhood are also up to 13 times more likely to experience sexual mistreatment as adults, as noted by the CDC.

Examples of child sexual abuse may include:

• Coercion or manipulation into sexual acts
• Exposure to sexual materials or genitals
• Grooming (through which predators build trust with victim)
• Inappropriate conversations or relationships
• Performing sexual acts in a child’s presence
• Watching children undress

Child SA may involve family members, caregivers, or other trusted individuals. It may include exploitation, exposure, or forced sexual activity. Up to 9% of child abuse cases involve sexual mistreatment according to the National Children’s Alliance, and 0.3% children become sex trafficking victims.

Age-inappropriate knowledge of sexual activity, avoidance of specific people, pain or injuries involving genital areas, and sudden behavior changes are all potential indicators of sexual abuse.

Call (877) 640-6101 now for help if you or someone you love experienced any form of child abuse. We’ll listen to you with compassion and recommend ways to get support.

Who Commits Child Abuse?

Anyone can commit child abuse. However, in up to 90% of all cases, child abuse stem from family members or people that kids trusted.

Common perpetrators of child abuse include:

• Family members such as parents or siblings
• Loved ones that children trust
• Coaches, teachers, or institutional authorities like club leaders
• Other children
• Strangers

Sadly, child sex abuse survivors knew the victim in 93% of instances, per the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Child Abuse By Parents and Family Members

Kids rely on their parents to raise them, make important decisions on their behalf, and keep them safe. Yet around 30-40% of child abusers were either parents or legal guardians, as noted by the CAPStone Child Advocacy Center.

Parents are more likely to commit abuse if they are:

• Convicted of crimes and spent time in jail
• Dealing with substance abuse issues
• Diagnosed with mental health issues
• Experiencing high rates of stress
• Having to care for many children
• Single
• Younger

If you were abused or neglected by a parent or trusted adult, it wasn’t your fault. Parents have a duty to keep children safe, not to cause hardship.

Child-On-Child Sexual Abuse (COCSA)

Child-on-child sexual abuse occurs when a perpetrator is also a child. COCSA is very common, and it’s believed up to 1 in 3 perpetrators of child SA cases are kids. According to one notable study, girls and those with disabilities are at a higher risk.

Potential perpetrators of COCSA include:

• Siblings or stepsiblings
• Cousins
• Classmates
• Other relatives who are minors

Examples of COCSA include unsolicited verbal comments, exposure to sexual materials, unwanted touching or sexual assault. According to a recent report, around 9 in 10 girls and half of boys received unwanted nude images from other underage kids.

Older kids may be more likely to commit COCSA against younger or smaller kids. The average age of perpetrators for COCSA is 15 years old, while the typical age for survivors is just 13.

It may take years, or even decades, for survivors of COCSA to come forward. This is because of factors like shame, uncertainty about what happened, or distrust of adults.

Institutional Child Abuse

Many other adults, such heads of institutions like youth organizations, religious groups, and more could put children at risk of abuse and neglect. For example, 1 in 250 adults experienced child SA committed by religious leaders according to the journal Child Abuse.

Institutional leaders who may commit include:

• Boarding school instructors
• Boy Scout leaders
• Clergy or religious leaders
• Coaches and teachers
• Doctors
• Foster care parents
• Royal Rangers
• Summer camp leaders or counselors
• Troubled Teen Industry programs or leaders

The impact that child abuse has, particularly among women, can last a lifetime, regardless of the perpetrator.

If you or someone you love has suffered, it’s important to understand all of your options. Get a free case review now to learn more.

Risk Factors for Child Abuse Cases

Child abuse doesn’t occur in a vacuum. A combination of challenges within the home, family, and general community all increase the risk of children suffering otherwise preventable harm, as noted by the CDC.

Common risk factors for child abuse include:

• Being aged 4 or under
• Being born with a disability
• Domestic violence in the home
• Having a parent with a mental illness
• Isolation
• Poverty
• Substance abuse by parents
• Living in a dangerous community
• Living in a home with instability or violence

“Child abuse and neglect are not caused by a single factor. Instead, a combination of factors at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels can increase or decrease the risk of violence.”
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

No matter the underlying risk factors, children never deserve to suffer from any type of abuse or neglect. While every family’s situation is unique, the main priority should be to keep children in the home as happy and healthy as possible.

Effects of Child Abuse on Health and Development

Child abuse doesn’t just cause short-term health issues for kids. It can affect a child’s health and brain development.

In fact, child abuse is recognized as a public health crisis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Research shows strong links between child abuse, chronic health concerns and early death.

Possible effects of child abuse include:

• Anxiety, depression, or trauma-related symptoms
• Delays in child development
• Difficulty with learning and behavior
• Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia
• Physical injuries

Up to 8% of girls who experienced child abuse would go on to develop an eating disorder as teenagers or adults, according to Cureus.

All of these effects are considered ACEs and are linked to serious adult health consequences. The CDC connects ACEs to heart disease, substance abuse, and mental illness later in life.

Ways to Report Suspected Child Abuse

If you believe a child may be in danger, there are several ways to report suspected child abuse or neglect. The right option depends on the situation and your role.

Here are child abuse hotlines and other ways to report:

• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: Call or chat confidentially to get guidance on whether and how to make a report in your area.
• Child Protective Services (CPS): Reports can usually be made by phone or online through your state or local child welfare agency.
• Children’s Bureau resources: Government departments and website tools explain reporting laws and child protection processes in each state.
• Health care providers: Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals can assess concerns and report suspected abuse.
• Local law enforcement: If a child is in immediate danger, contact local police or emergency services to request help right away.
• Schools or childcare providers: Teachers, counselors, and administrators are often mandated reporters who can help file a report.

Reporting suspected child abuse can help connect children and families with protection, services, and support. You do not need proof to make a report, only a reasonable concern for a child’s safety.

Why File a Child Abuse Lawsuit?

Women who suffered abuse as children need to understand that legal help may be available. Personal injury attorneys can potentially file child abuse lawsuits on behalf of survivors to get closure.

While it may feel overwhelming at first to consider filing a lawsuit, it’s important not to dismiss your options.

A child abuse lawsuit may allow you to:

• Get compensation for expenses like therapy
• Hold perpetrators financially accountable
• Receive a sense of justice for what’s happened

Many states have established “lookback windows” for child sex abuse lawsuits, meaning you still may have time to file even if you were harmed decades ago.

Whether you were harmed by someone you trusted, an institution, or a powerful organization, the child abuse attorneys in our network may be able to assist women like you.

Get a free case review now to find out your eligibility for a child abuse lawsuit.

What Does a Child Sexual Abuse Lawyer Do?

A child SA lawyer works to help survivors and families recover financial compensation for the harm done to them. While no amount of money can erase what happened, filing legal claims can allow survivors to more easily afford therapy and get a sense of closure.

At Her Case Matters, we have experienced child sexual abuse lawyers in our network who handle all steps of the legal process for you and your family. This makes it much easier to pursue the compensation you may deserve.

Child sexual abuse lawyers:

• Offer free case reviews to determine if you can file a lawsuit
• Gather evidence related to what happened and build a claim
• File the lawsuit on your behalf and within set deadlines
• Work to pursue the strongest payouts available

The attorneys we’ve partnered with also charge no upfront fees to work with them. This means there’s no financial risk for you or your family to move forward.

And, while there are deadlines to file a lawsuit, child SA attorneys understand the applicable time frames in your case. Many states also have long-term lookback windows, meaning you may still qualify to file with an attorney’s help even if the abuse occurred decades ago.

Child Abuse Settlements & Verdicts

The vast majority of lawsuits related to child abuse reach out-of-court settlements. These child abuse settlements allow survivors and their loved ones to get financial compensation without the additional step of taking the case to trial.

In the rare event that a child abuse lawsuit cannot be settled, it may have to be negotiated at a trial where a judge or jury will decide the verdict. Sometimes, child abuse verdicts have awarded millions, if not billions of dollars.

Notable elements in verdicts that have made headlines include:

• $4.8 billion to survivors of juvenile detention and foster care abuse in Los Angeles County
• $100 million to those who were abused by coach Jerry Sandusky
• $690 million to survivors of sexual abuse committed by a UCLA doctor
• $85 million to Diocese of Covington clergy abuse survivors
• $38 million to a man from New Hampshire abused at a juvenile detention center
• $880 million for Archdiocese of Los Angeles clergy abuse survivors
• $2.46 billion to those abused during their time in the Boy Scouts of America

The child abuse attorneys in our network have experience recovering strong settlements for fellow survivors. They can also prepare your case so it’s as strong as possible in the event a trial occurs.

Call (877) 640-6101 now to find out if you may be eligible to work with our partner attorneys to pursue a child abuse settlement or tiral verdict.

Her Case Matters Supports Families Affected by Child Abuse

No family expects or deserves to suffer abuse in childhood, and the impacts can follow her for the rest of her life. Her Case Matters helps women and families take the next step by providing a safe, respectful space to share concerns and learn about available options.

We can assist you by:

• Listening to your story
• Helping you understand if legal action is an option
• Connecting you with trusted legal resources when appropriate

Reaching out does not mean you have to take immediate action or pay any fees. It simply opens the door to understanding your options and deciding what is best for your future.

Call (877) 640-6101 or get a free case review now to find out if we can help you or someone you love.