Child Physical Abuse
The following is a condensed timeline of U.S. Federal child abuse legislative activity:
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1974 - Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA; Public Law 93-247), defined child abuse and neglect as,
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“…the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child under age eighteen, or the age specified by the child protection law of the state in question, by a person who is responsible for the child’s welfare under circumstances which indicate the child’s health or welfare is harmed or threatened thereby, as determined in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.”
The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect was formed under CAPTA. The Center was responsible for developing child abuse reporting standards and established a nationwide network of child protective services. (The Center has since been abolished and its functions have been included within the scope of the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
