Child Protection
Laws
Anti-Child Abuse Law
Republic Act No. 7610
CHILD ABUSE
Physical
Emotional
Sexual
CHILD MALTREATMENT
Intentional physical abuse or
neglect, emotional abuse or
neglect, and sexual abuse of
children, usually by adults
Neglect is the most prevalent
form of maltreatment
NEGLECT
Failure of parent or person legally
responsible for the child’s welfare to provide
for the child’s basic needs and an adequate
level of care
Etiology unknown
Influencing factors that can play a part in
neglect
Ignorance of child’s needs
lack of resources can play
Parental lack of knowledge on emotional
nurturing as an essential need of the child
Physical
Deprivation of necessities
Food, clothing, medical attention,
education, shelter
Emotional neglect
Failure to meet a child’s needs for affection,
attention, and emotional nurturance
Emotional abuse
Deliberate attempt to destroy or significantly
impair a child’s self-esteem or competence.
Rejection, isolation, terrorizing, ignoring,
or corrupting the child
PHYSICAL ABUSE
Deliberate infliction of physical injury
on a child usually by the child’s
caregiver
“Non-accidental injury of a child
ranging from minor bruises and
lacerations to severe neurologic trauma
and death”
Illness that one person fabricates or induces in
another person
Mother is often perpetrator in children
Warning signs
Unexplained, prolonged, recurrent, or
extremely rare illness
Parent knowledgeable about illness,
procedures,
Parent very attentive toward child
Family members with similar symptoms
Predisposing factors
Typically one child is victim in an abusive
family
Occurs in all family types
Characteristics of child that can contribute to
physical abuse
Child’s temperament
Position within the family
Disabled
Activity level
Degree of sensitivity to parental needs
SEXUAL ABUSE
“the use, persuasion, or coercion of any
child to engage in sexually explicit conduct
(or any simulation of such conduct) for
producing any visual depiction of such
conduct, or rape, molestation, prostitution
or incest with children”
Child abuse must be committed by person
responsible for the child’s care (parent,
babysitter)
If it is a stranger who is doing the abuse it
is sexual assault
Incest- any physical sexual activity b/t family
members
Includes stepparents, grandparents, uncles etc.
Molestation- “indecent liberties” touching,
fondling, kissing, masturbation
Exhibitionism-indecent exposure
Child pornography-arranging and photographing
sexual acts involving children
Regardless of consent from parent
Child prostitution-sexual acts for profit
Pedophilia-means “love of child” preference for pre-
pubertal children as a means of achieving sexual
excitement
Characteristics of Abusers
Can be anyone
Typically male that the victim knows
Presence of stepfather (incest)
Characteristics of victims
anyone
runaways
Initiation and perpetuation of abuse
Pressure to begin sexual activity
Gifts
Special secret
Abusers play on fears
Fear of telling
Fear that they will be blamed
Child is to young to tell what happened
Anti-Trafficking in
Persons Act
Republic Act No. 9208
Anti-Rape Law
Republic Act No. 8353
Anti-Sexual Harassment
Act of 1995
Republic Act No. 7877
Anti-Violence Against
Women and their
Children Act
Republic Act No. 9262
Child and Youth
Welfare Code
Presidential Decree No. 603
C H I L D R E N L E A R N W H AT T H E Y L I V E
by Dorothy Law Nolte
If children live with hostility, If children live with fairness,
they learn to fight. they learn justice.
If children live with ridicule,
they learn to be shy. If children live with security,
If children live with tolerance, they learn faith.
they learn to be patient.
If children live with approval,
If children live with encouragement, they learn to like themselves.
they learn confidence.
If children live with acceptance,
If children live with praise,
and friendship,
they learn to appreciate.
they learn to find love
in the world.