Glossary: Abuse
A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by
inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Harm can include ill treatment that is
not physical as well as the impact of witnessing ill treatment of others. This can be
particularly relevant, for example, in relation to the impact on children of all forms of
domestic abuse, including where they see, hear, or experience its effects. Children may
be abused in a family or in an institutional or extra-familial contexts by those known to
them or, more rarely, by others. Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may
be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children may be abused by an adult or adults, or
another child or children.
(Definition provided by Working Together)