Non-accidental injury in children--an update.

The abuse of children is a universal problem. It affects children from all social classes, racial and religious groups. Child abuse involves acts of commission or omission which directly or indirectly result in harm to the child and prevent a normal development into healthy adulthood. Those responsible may be members of a family, a community or an institution. The prevalence of child abuse and neglect is difficult to measure since events tend to be unreported because they happen behind closed doors. The majority of children who have been physically abused present with soft tissue injuries, thermal injuries and fractures. This article is focused on the physical abuse of children with particular emphasis on fractures.