Legally, the term child abuse has many definitions; it includes physical, sexual, mental, or emotional abuse and neglect. Practically, child abuse is diagnosed when the person responsible for the care or supervision of the child has injured the child or has failed to demonstrate a reasonable level of care or protection.

In the hospital emergency department, it is estimated that approximately 10% of children younger than 5 years of age present with trauma as a result of abuse. Approximately, one third of abused children are younger than 6 months of age, and these children must be identified early if serious, permanent physical and emotional injuries are to be prevented.

Laws currently exist in all states that mandate the reporting of suspected cases of child abuse to the appropriate protective state agency or local police department. Furthermore, these laws protect the healthcare professional from personal liability arising out of cases subsequently litigated and found not to involve abuse. This protection is present to ensure that a low threshold for reporting suspected abuse is maintained by all personnel and that abused children are therefore identified before further physical or emotional damage can occur.

The causes of child abuse are multiple and involve factors related to the person-alities of the parent and child, the family situation, and the emotional climate within the home at the time of the incident. Ninety percent of cases of child abuse involve parents who are neither psychotic nor sociopathic. Abused children are often unplanned and unwanted and may be perceived to misbehave consistently. The life of the parent or parents is often described as regularly punctuated by crises, usually involving lack of emotional support, economic difficulties, or failing relationships.