Child Abuse and Neglect Program
(Child Protective Services)
Child Maltreatment
Child maltreatment is generally divided into four basic types:
Threats of child abuse or neglect must also be reported to and assessed
by the county agencies and the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare. These
cases are categorized as "maltreatment that is likely to occur."
Physical Neglect
Physical neglect is defined in the statute as "failure, refusal or
inability on the part of a parent, guardian, legal custodian or other
person exercising temporary or permanent control over a child, for reasons
other than poverty, to provide necessary care, food, clothing, medical or
dental care or shelter so as to seriously endanger the physical health of
the child." [Wisconsin Statutes 48.981(1)(d)] (PDF)
(exit DCF)
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is defined as "physical injury inflicted on a child
by other than accidental means." [Ref. s. 48.02(1)(a) Stats.] (PDF File - exit
DCF),This includes non-accidental injury inflicted by any other person. "‘Physical
injury’ includes but is not limited to lacerations, fractured bones,
burns, internal injuries, severe or frequent bruising or great bodily
harm, as defined in s. 939.22(14) ." [Wisconsin Statutes
48.02(14g)] (PDF) (exit
DCF)
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is defined by cross-referencing several crimes in other
sections of the statutes. Briefly, sexual abuse includes the following:
- any person having sexual intercourse or sexual contact with a child
15 years of age or younger;
- any person having sexual intercourse or sexual contact with a 16- or
17-year old child without his or her consent;
- any person inducing a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct
in order to videotape, photograph, etc., that child or videotaping,
photographing, etc., a child for such purposes, or producing,
distributing, selling or otherwise profiting from such a videotape,
photograph, etc.;
- a person responsible for a child’s welfare encouraging or
permitting the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the
purpose of videotaping, photographing, etc.;
- any person causing a child to view or listen to sexual activity;
- any person exposing genitals to a child; and
- any person permitting or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution.
Emotional Damage
Emotional abuse is defined as "emotional damage for which the
child’s parent, guardian or legal custodian has neglected, refused or
been unable for reasons other than poverty to obtain the necessary
treatment or to take steps to ameliorate the symptoms."
[Ref. s.
48.02(1)(gm) and (5j) Stats.] (PDF)
(exit
DCFS)
The definitions of child neglect and emotional damage involve failure
on the part of parents or other persons responsible for a child to provide
necessary care for a child. In most cases, the parties involved are family
members and solutions involve interventions with the family. In some of
these cases, court intervention is required to assure safety and order
services for the family.
The definitions of physical abuse and sexual abuse include harm to a
child by any other person. Therefore, physical or sexual abuse of a child
by a parent is included, as are assaults by strangers, persons unrelated
to a child’s family, and peers. In cases where the child is harmed by
someone outside of the family, county agency interventions with the family
do not provide all of the solutions. In many of these cases, law
enforcement involvement through the criminal justice system is necessary
to intervene with the person who harmed the child.
Contact Information
Last Revised:
November 23, 2010 |
