physical abuse
deliberately aggressive or violent behavior by one person toward another that results in bodily injury. Physical abuse may involve such actions as punching, kicking, biting, choking, burning, shaking, and beating, which may at times be severe enough to result in permanent damage (e.g., traumatic brain injury) or death. It is most frequently observed in relationships of trust, particularly between parents and children or between intimate partners (e.g., in a marriage); indeed, violence against women and children in these types of relationships is recognized as a major public health problem, although few effective interventions to reduce its occurrence have yet been developed. Individuals who experience physical abuse often feel helpless and isolated and are prone to the subsequent development of numerous pathological conditions, including depression, eating disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and substance use problems. There is significant
controversy over whether certain common forms of physical discipline (e.g., spanking) that are neither malicious nor meant to inflict harm could be construed as overly harsh and thus considered to be physical abuse. See also battered-child syndrome; battered-woman syndrome; domestic violence; intimate partner violence.