Child Abuse Carpenter Law Firm, P.C. Attorneys Albuquerque New Mexico

Abuse and Neglect

It’s a crime in every state for a parent, or a person in the role of parent, to intentionally or recklessly injure a child. The injury involved may be:

Physical
Psychological
Both physical and psychological

A state may require a parent to accept parenting training or assistance.
In extreme cases, the state may remove the child from the parent's home and place the child in an alternate home, usually either with a relative or in foster care.

In extraordinary cases, where the parent’s conduct has been particularly outrageous or the parent shows a lack of capacity for rehabilitation, a court will terminate the parental relationship between the child and the parent. The child may be placed with a new family for adoption.

Each state has a procedure for reporting child abuse cases to an appropriate authority.
Each state also requires some individuals to report any observed incidents of abuse. This typically applies at a minimum to:

Teachers
Medical professionals
Law enforcement personnel
Some states expand this reporting responsibility to all citizens.

Also Refer To Domestic Violence