Physical Abuse:
This involves intentionally physical harm to child such as hitting, beating and
other forms of violent behavior. In 1979, Sweden became the first country in the
world to ban all punishment of children. Over the last 50 years, Swedish
attitudes toward physical punishment and the use of violence in bringing up
children have changed significantly especially since the law was passed
(Annerback, E.-M., Sahlqvist, L., Svedin, C. G., Wingren, G.,
& Gustafsson, P. A., 2012). In a study that was carried out in 2010, 15% of
children 13–17 years old reported experiencing Child Physical Abuse (CPA).
This study also revealed that only 7% of exposed children had told any authority
such as school, social services, health care or police about the physical abuse
however many cases were unreported. Violence against children remains a
public-health and a social welfare problem in Sweden as well as in other
high-income countries (Annerback, E.-M., Sahlqvist, L., Svedin, C.
G., Wingren, G., & Gustafsson, P. A., 2012).
Sexual Abuse:
Sexual abuse involves engaging a child in sexual activities or manipulating them
for sexual purposes. This includes molestation, rape, child pornography, and any
inappropriate touching or contact. Child sexual abuse (CSA) found to be
widespread in all nations. The Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse
and Neglect (CIS) has identified seven specific forms of sexual abuse: sexual
activity completed, sexual activity attempted, touching/fondling of the
genitals, adult exposure of genitals to child, sexual exploitation (involved in
prostitution or pornography), sexual harassment and voyeurism (Babcock, K., &
Tomicic, A., 2006). The largest study on child sexual abuse in Canada was done
by the Reporting Survey (UCR2) on Sexual Offences Against Children and Youth in
1984. It showed that boys aged 3 to 14 were the most affected by sexual abuse.
For male victims, rates were highest in the 3 to 14 • 54% of girls and 31% of
boys under the year age bracket.12 age of 21 had experienced sexual abuse,7 and
Analysis of the UCR2 data from 1998 to 2002 suggests that the rate of reported •
8.2% of boys and 17.6% of girls had 8 sexual offending against children and
experienced severe sexual abuse (Babcock, K., & Tomicic, A., 2006). It is
estimated that only 30% of child sexual using quite different parameters than
abuse victims disclose the abuse during those of the above mentioned 1984 study,
their childhood.