Republic Act 7610, The Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, defines child abuse as the maltreatment, habitual or not, of the child. This includes the following:

• Psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse, and emotional maltreatment;
• Any act by deeds or words which degrades the dignity of a child as human being.
• Unreasonable deprivation of his basic needs for survival such as food and shelter;
• Failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child resulting in serious impairment of his growth and development or his permanent incapacity or death.