child abuse

noun

1. mistreatment of a child by a parent or guardian, including neglect, beating, and sexual molestation.

child abuse

noun

1. physical, sexual, or emotional ill-treatment or neglect of a child, esp by those responsible for its welfare See also nonaccidental injury

Word History and Origins

Origin of child abuse¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The charity, one of only a few in the world licensed to actively search for child abuse content online, said it had removed 426 pieces of reported material between January and October 2025.

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Mr Hume said the delays in police inquiries were due to insufficient resourcing "amid a growing backlog of devices requiring examination in connection with online child abuse".

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"Any corporation that enables child abuse will face the full and unrelenting force of the law," he said in a statement on X.

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Because he committed these crimes while on probation, he must also serve a sentence of six years and eight months that he previously received in a child abuse case, prosecutors said.

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The process was thrown into chaos when the leading candidate ministers hoped to appoint, former Northern Ireland police officer and child abuse expert Jim Gamble, said he was not interested in the job.

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