Tampa Child Abuse Attorney

Was your child the victim of abuse?

To parents, one of the most important things in their life is their children. When something happens which harms their children, action needs to be taken to hold the guilty party accountable for what they have done. Statistics show that child abuse is a serious issue in the U.S. Every year, nearly 3.3 million reports are made regarding abuse. Not only that, but up to five children die every day as the result of abuse and neglect, making the U.S. one of the worst industrialized nations when it comes to child abuse. On top of that, 80% of children who die before the age of four died as the result of abuse. This is not an isolated event, but affects children of every race, religion, and socioeconomic situation.

Types of Child Abuse

The main types of child abuse are neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse. Over 78% of child abuse reports that come in involve neglect. Neglect can be defined as failing to meet the needs of child. Signs that this type of abuse is taking place include malnutrition, dehydration, poor hygiene, and illness. Parents may neglect to take them to school or the doctor when they are sick. Emotional neglect is also a form of child neglect and involves failing to provide the child with the love, attention, and security they need. Physical abuse is the next most common type of child abuse at 17.6%. Physical abuse is just what it sounds like, aggressive violence towards a child. Warning signs that physical abuse may be taking place include unexplained injuries and fear in the child. This does not include corporal punishment, but rather non-accidental injuries which seriously harm the child and are out of anger.

Approximately 9.2% of child abuse reports involve some type of sexual abuse. This type of abuse is defined as an older individual, either an adult or a teenager, using a child in some way in order to sexually gratify themselves. This could range from pressuring the child or asking the child to preform sexual acts or instances of indecent exposure. Other examples include using the child for the production of child pornography or trafficking the child. It could also include actual rape and sexual assault. In the U.S., it is estimated that up to 25% of women were sexually abused when they were children and up to 15% of men. Lastly, 8.1% of child abuse cases include psychological abuse. Also known as emotional abuse, this can include threatening the child, belittling and humiliating them, making excessive demands, or taking away their belongings or pets.

Talk to a Tampa child abuse lawyer today!

Child abuse can occur anywhere, not just in the home. Schools, religious institutions, daycares, and other organizations where children are involved could be the location of child abuse. If this has occurred in your family, please do not waste any time in getting in touch with our team at Distasio Law Firm. Even though filing a lawsuit will not make it so the abuse never happened, it could ensure that it does not happen again to another victim. Our Tampa personal injury attorneys are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum® due to the high settlements and verdicts we have been able to secure on behalf of our clients. We are also an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau and have been AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell®. For more information on how we could help you, please do not hesitate to contact a Tampa child abuse lawyer from our office. Call today!