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Physical abuse

Physical abuse may bring immediate harm to someone, but its effects can also be long-lasting. A person who has experienced physical abuse, especially in childhood, may be more likely to experience emotional and psychological difficulties later in life. 

Those who have survived domestic violence, an abusive relationship, or other abuse in adulthood may also experience distress related to the effects of abuse long after it has stopped. The support of a professional can often help an individual recover from these effects. 

Types of physical abuse
Physical abuse can take many forms, and anyone might be a victim of abuse. Children are often more likely to experience abuse at the hands of a parent, caretaker, or sibling, while an adult might be physically abused by a spouse, partner, or significant other.

Elder abuse—mistreatment or neglect of an older adult—may also include physical abuse and is often perpetrated by a caretaker, who might be a paid professional or a family member. Those in positions of power might also physically abuse individuals in their care. 

While physical abuse may be considered by some only to be abuse when physical harm is the result, many types of behaviours are, in fact, abusive.

In general, an individual who brings unwanted physical harm to an intimate partner, child, or elder may be considered to be abusing that person. These actions may also be defined as assault. 

The following actions are typically considered to be abusive:

  • Punching, kicking, slapping, pinching
  • Grabbing or physically restraining in a harmful way. A parent who yanks a child out of the path of a bicycle is not intending to harm the child and thus would not be considered to be abusing that child.
  • Burning
  • Shaking, especially of a baby or small child
  • Beating, whipping. Some cultures do not consider beating, whipping, or spanking a child after misbehaviour to be abusive. However, this behaviour is typically considered to be abusive in the United States and in many other countries.
  • Poisoning or otherwise causing illness
  • Any form of deliberate injury that causes harm

Different cultures may have varying ideas of what constitutes abuse.

Signs

Physical symptoms of abuse might include burns and scalds—especially those that appear in particular or unnatural patterns—bruises, bite marks, frequent fractures or broken bones, chronic injuries, or chronic health concerns. However, the presence of any of these physical signs may not necessarily indicate abuse, especially in children, who can be prone to falls or other accidents that cause injury. When an individual has frequent injuries or bruises, when the injuries appear to have a pattern, or when the explanation of the injury does not fit, then investigation of the situation may be recommended. 

Individuals—adults and children—who appear suddenly withdrawn, anxious, or aggressive, or who exhibit any of the following behavioural signs, especially in combination with the physical symptoms listed above, may be experiencing abuse:

  • Insomnia, nightmares, or trouble sleeping
  • Bedwetting or soiling oneself (in children)
  • Using drugs or alcohol
  • Self-harming, threatening self-harm
  • Suicidal ideation, threatening suicide
  • Changes in eating habits, development of an eating disorder
  • Clingy behaviour, a depressive or low mood
  • Obsessive behaviour

While abuse is always a serious concern, shaking or throwing a baby or small child can often be fatal. Injuries received as the result of a head injury, when not fatal, may lead to brain damage, disability, speech or visual impairment, or learning difficulties later in life. Babies who have been shaken may also sustain internal injuries, broken bones, or fractures. While respiratory problems, seizures, vomiting, irritability, lethargy, or lack of interest in eating may also indicate a baby might have a head injury, abuse may not always be the cause. No matter the potential cause, an individual who has reason to believe a baby has been shaken or thrown should seek medical attention immediately.