“I did it to discipline…”, “This is for the good of the child…”.
These are some of the phrases we may hear from abusers. Whether the attitude of the abuser is abuse, is not a question to be decided by the abuser.
But rather how a child feels and how hurt he is when he is assaulted.
Article 2, of the Child Abuse Prevention Law of Japanese law, determines the following acts as abuse against the child:
Physical abuse (Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Law)
Injuring a child’s body
- Strangling
- Hitting, kicking
- Throwing to the ground
- Throwing boiling water
- Burning with cigarettes
- Hit with objects
- Hit with belt
Sexual abuse (Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the Law)
Doing or allowing children to do obscene acts
- Having sexual intercourse with the child
- Performing extortionate sexual activity
Negligence (Neglect/Refusal to protect) (Art. 2, § 3 of the Law)
Acts detrimental to safety and health that restrain the normal development of the children’s mind and body, and neglect of guardianship
- Not feeding the child properly
- Living in an extremely filthy environment
- Locking the child in the home
Psychological abuse (Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the Law)
Shouting and insulting with words and actions that cause significant psychological trauma to children
- Verbal threats
- Ignoring the child
- Always having a dismissive attitude
- Repeatedly saying offensive and aggressive words
- Domestic violence in front of children
Source: Yokohama City Hall
