ABSTRACT
Millions of children are victims of child abuse each year throughout the world. This epidemic has been taking place for centuries and cuts across all cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, gender and racial groups. Almost all countries have laws, which require physicians to report their suspicion of child abuse to the appropriate agencies to ensure the protection of potential child victims. Child abuse is usually divided into four sub-types: physical abuse, sexual abuse, child neglect and emotional abuse.
