Realities of Child Abuse

Reality: Child abuse does not necessarily involve violence or anger.

Abuse often involves adults exploiting their power over children and young people, and using children and young people as objects for their own gratification rather than respecting their needs and rights as children. Child abuse is defined as “the harming (whether physically, emotionally, or sexually), ill-treatment, abuse, neglect or deprivation of any child or young person.”

New Zealand Legislation. 2018. Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 Children’s and Young People’s Well-being Act 1989. [Online] Available at: www.legislation.govt.nz. Accessed 6 April 2018.

Reality: In most cases, the people who commit violent or sexual crimes are not strangers to their victims.

For examp