The World Health Organization provides the following definition:
Maltreatment, sometimes referred to as child abuse and neglect, includes all forms of physical and emotional ill- treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, development or dignity. Within this broad definition, five subtypes can be distinguished – physical abuse; sexual abuse; neglect and negligent treatment; emotional abuse; and exploitation. source
A person may abuse by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Adult/Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional (e.g. school) or community setting usually by individuals known to them, or more rarely, by a stranger (most abuse is perpetrated by someone the person knows, respects or trusts). Often adult/children may experience multiple forms of abuse simultaneously, further complicating the problem.
The following information is excerpted from the AISA Child Protection Handbook (3rd Edition): To increase the AISA community’s awareness, this handbook focuses on four main categories of abuse and provides basic information about the physical and behavioral signs associated with each type.