Parents who take out their anger on their children not only put them in a dangerous position physically, but also harm them emotionally and mentally. Child abuse can be described as many different things. One of the most common forms of abuse is neglect. As stated by James W. Vander, in the book Human Development, “Neglect is defined as the absence of adequate social, emotional, or physical care.” (Vander, 1997). This could include malnutrition, a mother who does not pay attention to a sick or injured child, or even a guardian who does not share happiness with her child. Physical abuse is defined by Vander as "a physical attack or non-accidental physical harm to children by the people who care for them." (Vander, 1997). This type of abuse is where hitting, yelling, spanking, and even sexual abuse come into play. Children are not only hurt in the present moment of growing up, but also in the future. This abuse problem harms many people every day, and the repercussions are felt throughout society. Incidence and severity Many people should be concerned about this phenomenon because it is very serious. More than three million cases of child abuse are reported each year. That number only reveals the amount of cases REPORTED, let alone all the ones that go unreported. The children involved live very unhappy lives, but the effects of the abuse will be discussed later. Today's society needs to worry about these episodes because child abuse also affects this phenomenon. According to Cathy Widom, a personality analyst, there is a strong possibility that a child who was abused as a child will grow up to commit criminal acts. Found that “26% of abused youth went on to commit juvenile crimes… halfway through the paper… closure by “direct investigation, obtaining a complete history [of abuse],…, or asking for information about the best and worst experiences of childhood." (Ratican, 1994). In this way, the victim will hopefully be able to express their feelings in a productive way. "For many survivors, part of the trauma was the need to maintain the secret... The survivor often needs to share the secret with his or her support system, in a group of fellow survivors, or both to feel relief from this burden." (Ratican, 1994). Many researchers believe that classical therapy is not enough to help a victim of abuse. It is necessary to involve much more than painting. Some believe that hypnosis and journal writing are effective methods. All that is important is that victims of abuse do their repressed feelings emerge and they are able to accept what has happened and move on with their adult lives..