[填空题]Child Abuse
Definition of Child Abuse
Child abuse is also called cruelty to children, which is the purposeful infliction (施加) of pain and suffering on children through physical, sexual, or emotional mistreatment. Prior to the 1970s, the term child abuse normally referred only to physical mistreatment. But since then its application has expanded to include physical violence; unjustifiable verbal abuse; the failure to supply proper shelter, nourishment, medical treatment, or emotional support; sexual misbehaviors; and the use of children in illegal fields.
Current Situation of Child Abuse
Surveys in North America and Europe indicate that between 10 and 30 percent of young girls are subjected to exploitation or abuse as widely defined above. Estimates of abuse or neglect by parents or guardians range from about 1 out of every 100 children to more than 1 in 7, and figures are far higher if emotional abuse and neglect are included. Although widely pr