The act of harming children by neglect, physical force, violence, sexual attack, or by inflicting psychological or emotional distress. For much of history, children were considered the property of parents. The family system was rarely, if ever, intervened upon by society. If a mother or father routinely abused their children, the abuse went unnoticed, or if noticed, merely ignored. It was largely considered a parent's prerogative to do whatever he or she wanted with their …showed first 75 words of 1562 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1562 total…cited cause, for instance, of dissociative identity disorder. Sexual abuse, like severe physical and emotional abuse, can lead to other psychological disorders as well, such as depression, mood disorders, anxiety and panic disorders, and substance abuse. Many authorities and psychologists believe that spanking breaks a child's spirit and only leads to violence. They think that it causes the child to become depressed, angry or hostile and they have conducted many studies to prove these things.