Child abuse is harm to a child for which there is no "reasonable" explanation; it includes non-accidental physical injury, neglect, sexual molestation and emotional abuse. Child abuse has become a national epidemic -- more than one million children are confirmed each year by state departments of child protective services as victims of child abuse and neglect. At least three children a day die from this type of abuse.

In the United States in 1997, over 3,195,000 children were reported to child protective services as victims of child abuse and neglect, translating to roughly 47 out of 1,000 children. This represents a 1.7% increase since 1996. In 1997, approximately 84,320 new cases of child sexual abuse were accepted for service, accounting for 8% of all confirmed victims. Child abuse reporting levels have increased 41% between 1988 and 1997 which experts attribute to a greater public awareness of and willingness to report child maltreatment, as well as changes in the way states collect reports of maltreatment.