Every child has a right to grow up in a safe and caring situation. No matter what age, race or gender, children have a right to be cared for and protected.

Sadly, any child can be at risk of being abused. It is not always the parent who is the abuser. A child can be abused by a step-parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, boyfriend or girlfriend of the parent, a neighbour and/or even a sister or brother.

Often the abuser is known to the children. Child abuse is when an adult or older child is deliberately hurting and/or has power and control over a child. Child abuse, or child maltreatment as it is also called, can happen to children of any age, of any gender and of any race.