People may not be aware, but some of their peers, friends or neighbors may be a victim of child abuse. Every day someone experiences physical, emotional, neglect and/or sexual abuse. Abuse can lead to death or injury for the rest of the victim's life, whether by the perpetrator or themselves. To prevent child abuse, society must: recognize the types of abuse, understand the common causes of abuse, know the characteristics of abusers, and realize the effects that abuse has, not only on the child, but on families and communities around the world. Abuse prevention must first start with understanding the different types of abuse. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines abuse as the motive, act, or lack of action of a parent or guardian that leads to physical or emotional harm (Rein 11-12). Each state defines abuse differently; Pennsylvania defines physical abuse as the recent act or lack of action by a perpetrator that causes or threatens serious, non-accidental physical injury to a person under the age of 18 (Clark 351). Corporal punishment, a controversial topic in physical abuse, is defined as deliberately inflicting physical injury because the child misbehaves. Types of corporal punishment include spanking, slapping, pinching, choking, spanking, or hitting the child with objects (Gerdes 182-190). Part of the debate over physical abuse concerns whether schools can use physical punishment on their students. Some believe that corporal punishment is the only way to teach children to misbehave and that minor pain is justified if it corrects a larger problem (Gerdes 198-201). Others think that corporal punishment can lead a child to believe that violence is acceptable or to think... middle of paper... intelligence data. NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH, 2000 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION. Federal Document Clearing House, March 31, 2000. eLibrary. Network. October 4, 2013.Rehm, Ashley. Personal interview. October 29, 2013.Rein, Mei Ling. Child abuse: betraying a trust. Detroit: Thomson/Gale, 2005. Print.Romeo, Felicia F. “Child Abuse and Report Cards.” Instruction. 3(2000): 438. eLibrary. Network. 4 Oct. 2013. Schulte, Brigid. :New report finds that the effects of child abuse and neglect, if left untreated, can last a lifetime (posted 9/12/2013 10:46:17 PM); A new report finds that child abuse and neglect costs $80 million a year; he asks." Washington Post. September 12, 2013. eLibrary. Web, 04 October 2013.Smith, Melinda and Jeanne Segal. “Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognizing, Preventing and Reporting Child Abuse.” HelpGuide.org. A