A maltreated child is best defined as?

• A. A child under 18 who has had serious physical injury inflicted by other than accidental means
• B. A child under 12 who is missing
• C. A child under 18 whose parent physically injures them accidentally
• D. A child over 18 who is abused

Answer: (A)

Maltreatment is harm to a child under 18 that is not accidental and is caused by someone responsible for the child’s care. The statement describing a serious physical injury that was inflicted by someone other than an accident fits this definition because it shows non-accidental harm from a caregiver or other responsible person.

The other scenarios don’t fit: a missing child isn’t about harm to a child, an accidental injury by a parent isn’t considered maltreatment since it wasn’t intentional harm, and a person over 18 isn’t a child.