ABSTRACT
Abuse of children and adults has a long history, recorded in both literature and historical documentation through the ages. Wherever there has been a power imbalance, whether because of age, class, culture, gender, religion or politics, abuse of some of the weaker by some of the stronger has occurred. Violence and abuse may be positively sanctioned or tacitly allowed by the ruling regime of the time: the treatment of slaves throughout history, and the torture and rape that quickly occur in any war, are examples. We only have to look at the current levels of child prostitution in some countries to see that the sexual abuse of children is not always hidden away; and, of course, it is often wealthy Western businessmen who are exploiting these children. Hitting children has a long and acceptable history. The degree of violence and damage caused may be a question of debate, but the act of hitting itself has in many cultures been deemed acceptable child care practice. Abuse of children needs to be understood in the context both of society overall and of the psychology of the individual-it does not exist in a vacuum. It is part of a world in which violence, torture and uncontrolled aggression are sadly commonplace.
