Mercer County Children's Advocacy Center

Please select a Mobi Menu from the Menu Locations tab in order to make your header display as intended.

  • Awareness Blog
  • ChildLine: 1-800-932-0313
Mercer County Children's Advocacy Center
  • Home
  • About Mercer CAC
  • What to Expect
    • Forensic Interview Services
    • Medical Exams
    • Trauma Treatment
  • For Families and Children
    • What is Child Abuse and Neglect?
      • Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect
      • Myths and Facts About Child Abuse and Neglect
      • Recognize the Signs of Abuse and Neglect
    • What is Child Neglect?
      • Preventing Neglect
      • Recognize the Signs of Neglect and Emotional Maltreatment
      • Reporting Neglect
      • Responding to Neglect
    • What is Child Physical Abuse?
      • Preventing Physical Abuse
      • Recognize the Signs of Physical Abuse
      • Reporting Physical Abuse
      • Responding to Physical Abuse
    • What is Child Sexual Abuse?
      • Preventing Sexual Abuse
      • Recognize the Signs of Sexual Abuse
      • Reporting Sexual Abuse
      • Responding to Sexual Abuse
    • Keeping your Child Safe
      • Domestic Violence and Kids
  • Resources
    • Reading Resources
    • Resource Guide for Working with Adolescents
    • Talking To Your Children About Sexuality
    • What is Age-Appropriate?
    • What to DO if you Suspect a Child is Being Abused
  • Internet Safety
    • Abbreviations and Text Terms
    • Cyberbullying & Sextortion
    • Facebook- How to Keep My Child Safe
    • Instagram- How to Keep My Child Safe
    • Snapchat- How to Keep My Child Safe
    • Social Media Safety

What is Child Abuse and Neglect?

Homepage What is Child Abuse and Neglect?

The first step in helping abused and neglected children is to recognize the signs of abuse and neglect.  The presence of a single sign does not mean that maltreatment is occurring in a home, but a closer look may be warranted when these sign appear.

So, what is child abuse and neglect

According to the State of Pennsylvania, the term “child abuse” shall neglect chartmean intentionally, knowingly or recklessly doing any of the following:

(1)  Causing bodily injury to a child through any recent act or failure to act.

(2)  Fabricating, feigning or intentionally exaggerating or inducing a medical symptom or disease which results in a potentially harmful medical evaluation or treatment to the child through any recent act.

(3)  Causing or substantially contributing to serious mental injury to a child through any act or failure to act or a series of such acts or failures to act.

(4)  Causing sexual abuse or exploitation of a child through any act or failure to act.

(5)  Creating a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury to a child through any recent act or failure to act.

(6)  Creating a likelihood of sexual abuse or exploitation of a child through any recent act or failure to act.

(7)  Causing serious physical neglect of a child.

(8)  Engaging in any of the following recent acts:

(i)  Kicking, biting, throwing, burning, stabbing or cutting a child in a manner that endangers the child.

(ii)  Unreasonably restraining or confining a child, based on consideration of the method, location or the duration of the restraint or confinement.

(iii)  Forcefully shaking a child under one year of age.

(iv)  Forcefully slapping or otherwise striking a child under one year of age.

(v)  Interfering with the breathing of a child.

(vi)  Causing a child to be present at a location while a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 7508.2 (relating to operation of methamphetamine laboratory) is occurring, provided that the violation is being investigated by law enforcement.

(vii)  Leaving a child unsupervised with an individual, other than the child’s parent, who the actor knows or reasonably should have known:

(A)  Is required to register as a Tier II or Tier III sexual offender under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 97 Subch. H (relating to registration of sexual offenders), where the victim of the sexual offense was under 18 years of age when the crime was committed.

(B)  Has been determined to be a sexually violent predator under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9799.24 (relating to assessments) or any of its predecessors.

(C)  Has been determined to be a sexually violent delinquent child as defined in 42 Pa.C.S. § 9799.12 (relating to definitions).

(9)  Causing the death of the child through any act or failure to act.

  • For Families and Children
    • What is Child Abuse and Neglect?
    • What is Child Neglect?
    • What is Child Physical Abuse?
    • What is Child Sexual Abuse?
    • Keeping your Child Safe

Childline

Reporting Child Abuse
Call 800-932-0313
(TDD: 866-872-1677)

Search for More Information

Copyright ©2018 Mercer County CAC | 8406 Sharon-Mercer Road | Mercer, PA 16137 | (724) 662-1550 | Mercer Country BHC Inc
  • Home
  • About Mercer CAC
  • What to Expect
  • For Families and Children
  • Resources
  • Internet Safety
SearchPostsLogin
Wednesday, 1, Feb
February is National Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month
Wednesday, 1, Feb
February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Wednesday, 1, Feb
February is National Disabilities Awareness Month
Tuesday, 3, Jan
January is National Blood Donor Month
Tuesday, 3, Jan
January is Poverty in America Awareness Month
Tuesday, 3, Jan
January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Welcome back,