**4. Controversies surrounding child abuse**

In reality, the terms *child abuse* and *child neglect* are socially defined phenomena. Viewed on technical and legal basis, beating up a child severely, or breaking his or her bones by a total stranger, is likely to be considered by most, without hesitance, as a crime punishable by the law. However, the same act of violence on the child, when committed by the child's parent, may, in many societies, raise some second thoughts that, despite the probable unequivocal condemnation, may delay or prevent the initiation of necessary and appropriate forms of intervention. In other words, child-abuse laws globally raise difficult legal, cultural and political issues, putting the right of children to be free from harm on one hand, against the right of families to privacy and the rights of parents to raise and discipline their children without external interference, on the other. Accordingly, a number of complex issues are at hand when trying to define a specific form of maltreatment. That is because definitions of child abuse or maltreatment reflect cultural values and beliefs. Behaviors that are considered abusive in one culture may be considered acceptable (e.g., corporal punishment) in another culture. Likewise, parental behaviors that are appropriate at one stage in a child's development may be inappropriate at another stage of development. For example, the level of supervision needed for toddlers may differ from that for adolescents. On the other hand, another issue of dispute is the categorical definitions of child abuse or maltreatment. In other words, while some consider a child as either abused or not abused, still others hold the notion that the categorical definition approach fails to acknowledge that abusive and neglectful behaviors can differ markedly in terms of severity, the frequency and duration of occurrence, and the likelihood that they will cause physical or emotional harm. Another disputable dimension of defining child abuse is whether child maltreatment is defined on the basis of the abusive or neglectful adult behaviors committed against a child (e.g., hitting or shaking), or rather on the basis of the harm caused to the child as a result of such behaviors (e.g., displayed physical symptoms such as bruising or swelling). Further, as mentioned above, there is the justified question of whether the intent to maltreat a child is a necessary indicator of child maltreatment. In reality, there can be instances where abuse or neglect can occur even though the perpetrator did not intend to commit it (for example, neglectful parents may have had no intention of neglecting their children).
