What is physical abuse?

Physical abuse causes or exacerbates physical harm. It includes:

• Hitting with hands or objects
• Slapping and punching
• Kicking
• Shaking
• Throwing
• Poisoning
• Burning and scalding
• Biting and scratching
• Drowning
• The failure to seek or provide medical attention for a child who is ill
• The failure to seek or provide first aid for a child who has an accident
• Fabricating illness so that the child is subjected to unneeded medical tratments

Sometimes physical abuse is intentional and the abuser knowingly inflicts harm. At other times, physical abuse is unintentional; perhaps resulting from ignorance, neglegence or incompetence.