Child abuse and neglect are defined by both Federal and State legislation. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) is the Federal legislation that provides minimum guidelines States must incorporate in their statutory definitions of child abuse and neglect. Based on CAPTA guidelines, each State and U.S. Territory provides its own definitions of child abuse and neglect. As applied to reporting statutes, these definitions describe the acts and conditions that determine the grounds for State intervention in the protection of a child’s well-being. (Description from source)
