Child abuse is defined as an injury or a pattern of injuries to a child that is non-accidental.
Child maltreatment includes emotional abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, and non-accidental physical injury. Child abuse is against the law. Emotional Abuse includes parental expectations which result in aggressive, excessive, or unreasonable demands upon children which are beyond their capabilities. Examples might include the kind of constant teasing that belittles a child or verbal attacks. Sometimes emotional abuse is not what a parent does, but what a parent doesn't do, such as failure to provide the understanding and nurture necessary for a child's healthy psychological growth and development.