Many people also believe sexual abuse is the most common kind of abuse. Also, birth parents are more likely to be violent than step-parents.
Mothers are likely to be abusive than fathers.
Nevertheless, parenting is almost always a mixture of love and frustration. It is hard to know if your urge to hurt your child is truly dangerous. However, if you sense you are getting close to becoming violent, something must be done immediately. If at all possible, have someone else care for the child for a while. Calling for help is hard to do.