• Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or
• An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

What Are the Major Types of Child Abuse and Neglect?
Neglect is failure to provide for a child's basic needs. Neglect may be:
• Physical (e.g., failure to provide necessary food or shelter, or lack of appropriate supervision)
• Medical (e.g., failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment)
• Educational (e.g., failure to educate a child or attend to special education needs)
• Emotional (e.g., inattention to a child's emotional needs, failure to provide psychological care, or permitting the child to use alcohol or other drugs)
• Abandonment

Major Types of Abuse:
• Physical Abuse is physical injury (ranging from minor bruises to severe fractures or death) as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting (with a hand, stick, strap, or other object), burning, or otherwise harming a child. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caretaker intended to hurt the child.
• Emotional Abuse is a pattern of behavior that impairs a child's emotional development or sense of self-worth. This may include constant criticism, threats, or rejection, as well as withholding love, support, or guidance. Emotional abuse is often difficult to prove and, therefore, CPS may not be able to intervene without evidence of harm to the child. Emotional abuse is almost always present when other forms are identified.
• Sexual Abuse includes activities by a parent or caretaker such as fondling a child's genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials.

Mother Indicted for Biting Her Child
"That kind of thing can haunt that little boy all of his life," said Bradley Siner.
Siner lives next door to a mother arrested for child abuse. Inside Apartment A, police say they found a 4-year-old boy. He'd been abused- bitten several times- and according to investigator Susanna Taylor- on different occasions.
"He'd been bitten on the arm and the wounds were in different stages of healing," says Taylor.
Lara Williams was indicted by a grand jury late last week on child abuse charges. She bonded out of jail on Monday. Her trial will come and go but police say a victim like Williams' 4 year-old boy may have permanent scars.
"It's tough because here's a child who felt like his mommy loved him and was supposed to be there to take care of him but then he's pulled out of the home but as an officer, it's our job to put him in a safe environment," Taylor said.
"It's a bad thing. I hate to see it because I have kids of my own," Siner said. Lara Williams may be arraigned as early as tomorrow. She's free on a $1500 bond. Police say she's been investigated in other states in the past on similar allegations but never charged.

Mistaken Beliefs about Child Abuse
• The child must be partly to blame
• A teen is old enough to protect him/herself from abuse
• Reporting abuse will only complicate matters
• DCFS will make things worse
• No one would knowingly harm a child
• If I am abused, I will be worse off for reporting it…

What causes child abuse?
Various factors contribute to the risk
• substance abuse;
• excessive and over-discipline;
• immaturity of parents, lack of parenting skills,
• unrealistic expectations about children's behavior and capabilities
• a parent's own negative childhood experiences,
• Lack of moral development or concern;
• frequent family crises, social isolation;
• lack of supportive services for families;
• economic stress and poverty;
• lack of knowledge regarding child care and development;
• domestic violence; mental health disorders and
• fragmented families; step-parents, care-givers.

Children’s Rights
The Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere - without discrimination - have:
• the right to survival;
• to develop to the fullest;
• to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation;
• to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

You should know….
• No one has the right to abuse you.
• You don't deserve to be abused.
• If you are being abused, you are a victim.
• It's not your fault that you are being treated this way.
• It is wrong that you are suffering this pain, fear or sadness.
• You are not alone. Other kids suffer abuse, too.
• Sometimes abusers scare or threaten kids so they won't tell.
• There are people who care about you and want to help you.
• If you are being abused, please tell a safe person - you can trust like a teacher, counselor, school nurse, neighbor or parent.

Abuse is always wrong, sinful and always harmful…

• If you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, the Dept. of Child and Family Services at (800) 252-2873 in Illinois or the Child Protective Services in your state.
• Each State has jurisdiction over these matters, and has specific laws and procedures for reporting and investigating.
• In some States, all citizens are mandated reporters by State law and must report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect.
• Childhelp® USA National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD®