Child Endangerment or Child Abuse: What’s the Difference?

Anyone charged with a crime related to children is facing serious scrutiny and condemnation, especially if the charges are validated in court. That’s why having an aggressive and accomplished attorney fighting for your rights is essential.

Understand the Charges 

The charges of child endangerment and child abuse are quite different.

• Child endangerment involves putting a child in harm’s way, even if it was done unintentionally. These charges may be filed even when actual physical harm to a child did not occur. It is simply a matter of potential
• Child abuse, on the other hand, entails the willful physical, sexual, and/or mental abuse of a child.

Endangerment Examples 

Like child neglect, child endangerment is a matter of situational risk of harm to a child. It occurs under myriad circumstances, some of which include:

• Leaving a child in a hot car while shopping;
• Driving drunk with a child in the vehicle;
• Leaving a loaded firearm within reach of a child;
• Permitting minor children to partake of drugs or alcohol;
• Leaving young children unattended for long periods of time;
• Failing to seek medical treatment for a sick or injured child.

Whether you are the parent or not in these situations, you could be arrested for child endangerment if you were responsible for situations like these.

Abuse Examples

Child abuse occurs in multiple ways, as well. The days of corporal punishment being acceptable are long gone, and criminal charges could be filed for any of the following:

• Physically harming a child by hitting, kicking, or otherwise inflicting pain;
• Willfully withholding food, restraining, or locking up a child unreasonably;
• Withholding necessary medical care;
• Bullying, harassing, demeaning, or otherwise inflicting emotional trauma on a child;
• Neglecting a child’s basic needs.

Penalties

The penalties for these crimes are significant and vary depending on the circumstances and previous offenses. At a minimum, a conviction could land an offender behind bars for up to 364 days, and at a maximum, for life in prison. Issues considered in sentencing include:

• The age of the child;
• Whether substantial mental or bodily harm occurred;
• Whether there have been previous convictions of a similar nature.

Potential Defenses

Defending these charges can be tricky because they are so emotionally charged. The public, along with the courts, take child safety very seriously. Possible defense strategies may include:

• It didn’t happen;
• It happened, but someone else was responsible;
• Something happened, but it wasn’t what was charged.

Protecting Your Rights

The experienced Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys at Lobo Law always fight to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Las Vegas office today.

Source:

hhs.gov/answers/programs-for-families-and-children/what-is-child-abuse/index.html