Maryland Domestic Violence Types of Abuse and Neglect

Domestic Violence in Maryland: Types of Abuse and Child Neglect

In the state of Maryland, a husband and wife do not have the right to abuse each other, and therefore can use domestic abuse as grounds for divorce.

Acts of Domestic Abuse Include:

• continual embarrassing put-downs;
• looking at you or behaving in ways that are frightening;
• controlling who you talk to, who you see and where you go;
• controlling the finances and making you ask for money;
• making all of the decisions;
• threatening to hurt the children or take them away from you;
• preventing you from going to work or school;
• denying abuse or acting like it’s your fault;
• threatening to kill your pets or destroy your property;
• using guns or other weapons to intimidate you;
• physically abusing you (shoving, slapping, choking, hitting);
• forcing you to drop any charges;
• threatening to commit suicide; and
• threatening to kill you.

Continue reading: What should you do if the abuser violates your protective order?

Types of Abuse and Child Neglect: Physical, Sexual, & Mental

Indicated Abuse

Physical Abuse Other than Mental Injury

This is appropriate if there is credible evidence, which has not been satisfactorily refuted, that the following four elements are present:

• A current or prior physical injury;
• The injury was caused by a parent, caretaker, or household or family member;
• The alleged victim was a child at the time of the incident; and
• The nature, extent, and location of the injury indicate that the child’s health or welfare was harmed or was at substantial risk of harm.

Sexual Abuse

(a) A finding of indicated child sexual abuse is appropriate if there is credible evidence, which has not been satisfactorily refuted, that the following three elements are present:

• Current or prior sexual molestation or exploitation;
• The sexual molestation or exploitation was caused by a parent, caretaker, or household or family member; and
• The alleged victim was a child at the time of the sexual molestation or exploitation.

(b) Physical injury is not required for a finding of indicated sexual abuse.

Abuse-Mental Injury

A finding of indicated child abuse with mental injury is appropriate if there is credible evidence, which has not been satisfactorily refuted, that the following four elements are present:

• A current or prior mental injury characterized by an observable, identifiable, substantial impairment to the child’s mental or psychological ability to function, which may be shown by the need for specific psychiatric, psychological, or social work intervention;
• The mental injury was caused by a parent, a caretaker, or household or family member;
• The alleged victim was a child at the time of the incident; and
• The nature and extent of the mental injury indicate that the child’s health or welfare was harmed or was at substantial risk of harm.