Child Physical Abuse
A Historical Long View: The abuse of a child can take diverse forms, from physical and sexual abuse to emotional mistreatment and neglect. Such behaviors are, sadly, as old as humanity itself.
Recorded incidents of child abuse date from antiquity with Roman accounts of the sexual abuse and ritual sacrifice of children. During the Middle Ages, children were customarily used as nothing more than a supplemental, slave-like work force. As civilization progressed so did the inclusion of harsh discipline of children, not only by parents but also by respected members of the community, including teachers and the clergy. Children and parents were taught that beatings were in a child’s best interest. Furthermore, children were seen as adults in miniature and were expected to behave as such. Many unfortunate children were committed, by their own parents, to apprenticeships or indentured servitude at the hands of brutal masters.
