Hundreds of thousands of cases of child abuse occur in the United States each year (Richardson 2002). In recent years, in fact, growing attention has been paid to the problem of child abuse. Most of the attention is paid to the problem of child abuse in the media. This is a measure to combat and reduce it. However, according to Christie, (2013), the director of Arizona's child welfare system stated that many reports of child abuse have gone uninvestigated in recent years. Under these circumstances, there is an indication that more needs to be done to control this threat. To adequately address this issue, it would be wise to first understand what child abuse is. Child abuse can be defined as any negligent act, commission or omission, which may jeopardize a child's mental, emotional and physical health and growth. It represents any form of harm done to a child, which cannot be explained rationally. It is often represented through injuries or series of injuries that are usually non-accidental in nature. There are many forms of child abuse, including neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. In an article by Tiffany Sharples on unreported child abuse, appearing in TIME on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, it is clear that children in first world nations endure abandonment. and child abuse that often goes unreported by existing child protection agencies. In this article, researchers estimate that approximately 4 to 16 percent of children are physically abused each year in developed nations such as the United States of America. Yet as many as 15% of these cases are overlooked. About 10% of girls, while 5% of boys, suffer brutal sexual abuse. However, the research…… half of the paper……m/2013/11/21/arizona-child-abuse-reports-investiga_n_4319245.html.Schols, Manuela WA, de Ruiter, Corine, & Öry, Ferko G. (2013) . How do pediatric public health workers and primary school teachers identify and manage cases of child abuse? A qualitative study. (BioMed Central Ltd.) BioMed Central Ltd. Richardson, C. (January 1, 2002). Liability of the doctor/hospital for negligently reporting child abuse. The Journal of Legal Medicine, 23, 1, 131-50. Sharples, T. (2013). Time. In the study: Most child abuse goes unreported. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1863650,00.htmlPress Association. (2013). The Guardian. In Children still at risk of abuse in schools, clubs and care homes. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/24/child-abuse-schools-care-national-crime-agency-uk.