Physical child abuse occurs when physical harm comes to a child or children. What constitutes physical abuse to a child? There are many circumstances that can be considered abusive. These can include, but are not limited to whipping or slapping a child, hitting a child with anything other than the hand, kicking the child, locking the child in a closet or room, and continually waking the child as it falls asleep. Biting a child, cutting a child, sexually abusing a child, scalding with hot water, breaking bones, and tying up or throwing a child are also forms of physical abuse. These are by no means all of the ways a child can be physically abused. There are usually going to be evidence of abuse on a child’s body such as bruises or cuts, bite marks, and other injuries. A child who is being physically abused will act different than other children, and these behavioral differences are easy to spot. Physical child abuse often has its own distinct pattern. Any of the above circumstances that happen frequently should alert you to a problem within the child’s family.