Child abuse could be defined from predominantly legal, clinical and research perspectives, and attempts at an integrative enunciation are fraught with over-inclusiveness. Meadow (1989) proposed that a child is considered to be abused if he or she is treated by an adult in a way that is unacceptable in a given culture at a given time. This definition usefully incorporates the essential issues including secularity and diversity of socio-cultural norms which often create controversy in case detection and are particularly relevant to the debate.
Child abuse and neglect in sub-Saharan Africa
