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Physical abuse is often the most obvious and visible element of domestic abuse which occurs between intimates or family members.
Physical abuse can occur in a marriage, dating or otherwise intimate relationship, a parent-child relationship, a grand-parent-child relationship, a sibling relationship, or any other close familial or personal relationship.
Physical abuse is defined as any non-accidental act carried out by one individual against another which is intended to, or does, cause physical harm.
Physical abuse can range from non-consensual physical restraint to murder. Physical abuse in personal and familial relationships is a serious social problem that affects millions of Americans.
Official statistics from 1996 indicate one million confirmed cases of child physical abuse and nearly two thousand cases of children who have been killed by their physical abusers.
An American Medical Association study indicates that 1,300 babies suffer severe or fatal head trauma caused by physical abuse (shaken baby syndrome) each year. Thousands more children are the victims of sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse at the hands of family and close kin.
Physical abuse is a major component of domestic abuse and relationship violence. Twenty two percent of all women will be the victims of physical abuse in their lifetime.
Two million women suffer serious injuries from physical abuse and more than one thousand are killed. Physical abuse is the number one cause of injury in women between the ages of 18 and 44.
While 92 percent of all abusers are men, males are also the victims of physical abuse.
Elder abuse is another type of physical abuse that occurs between intimates and close kin. Elder physical abuse can also occurs in institutions like nursing homes and other long term care facilities.
While this type of physical abuse is in the process of being more thoroughly studied, available statistics suggest that between one and two million people over the age of 65 are the victims of physical abuse in the United States every year.
Physical abuse can involve any type of intentional act or negligence which threatens or causes physical injury to another by way of restraining, punching, kicking, beating, biting, burning, shaking, throwing, using a weapon, or otherwise causing physical harm.
There are many physical signs and symptoms that may indicate physical abuse.
The following is a partial list of physical symptoms of abuse: unusual or clustered bruises, injuries at different stages of healing, burns, poor care or failure to thrive, unexplained skeletal injuries like fractures or swollen joints, retinal hemorrhage, brain trauma, and more.
The clearest indicator for an evaluating physician is when a patient’s history is inconsistent with the current injuries.
Contact a Physician and a Lawyer
Physicians and other professionals are required by law to report cases of physical abuse to the local child protective or other social agency. If you or a loved one is the victim of physical abuse, it is not your fault, you are not alone, and you have the right to live life free of fear and abuse. If you would like to learn more about physical abuse, please contact us to speak with a qualified and experienced attorney who can help.
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