What is considered child abuse?
4/10/2025 by Katie M. Johnson, M.D.
While walking through the grocery aisles, you hear a mother whisper to her child, "You are so annoying; I wish you were never born." Is this abuse?
A family from another country moves in next door, and you overhear that the father bathes with his 4-year-old daughter. Is this abuse?
Your friend at work describes giving his 18-month-old a "swat on the butt" to stop his tantrums. Is this abuse?
Defining child abuse is tricky. Finding the line where suboptimal parenting ends and child abuse begins is not clear-cut. The answer is often "it depends." It depends on how severe and persistent the mother's spurning is, whether the father has any sexual intent, whether any bruises are left on the toddler, and even where the family lives (search the Child Welfare Information Gateway to find child abuse laws in every state).
Does this mean the examples above are model parenting as long as they do not break the law? Of course not. It just means that charging and convicting may not be the answer.
Mandatory supporting is another way to help families. This method means connecting families with needed resources to support their basic needs as well as their mental and physical health. Look for local community education classes, parenting coaches, parent-child interaction therapy and classes that teach children healthy boundaries and body safety. Attend, recommend and vote to fund these resources every chance you get.
If you have a concern that a child you know is being abused or neglected, reach out to your primary care team or county child protection team to discuss the next steps.
Katie M. Johnson, M.D., is a child abuse pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic Center for Safe and Healthy Children and Adolescents in Rochester, Minnesota. She has expertise in medical education, serving as an associate program director for the Mayo Clinic Pediatric Residency and hosting a child abuse curriculum that over 70 programs worldwide have requested.