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Legally, this crime results in severe punishments, however, there are child abuse penalties that aren’t as harsh, for example, neglecting a child is a form of child abuse but the consequences may not be as bad as physical abuse.

Child abuse is one of the more heinous of crimes because it involves harming the most vulnerable people in our society, children.

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In most states, child abuse is either charged as a felony or something less serious depending on the circumstances, the most serious charges include lifetime sentences, while the least serious are considered gross misdemeanours which result in no prison time at all.However, if the offender has a record for criminal child abuse, the punishment will most likely be more severe.

There is also an option for the person charged to choose to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest. For that, sentencing can include probation or prison time for up to 5 years.

 

But mainly, “The wide range of child abuse penalties and sentencing depend on several factors, such as: The state where the abuse took place; The age of the child; Whether the offense involved sexual abuse; Whether the child was physically or mentally injured; and The criminal history of the offender.” (FindLaw).

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