There are different definitions of child abuse. The Child Abuse Prevention Law of Japan defines physical
abuse such as striking and kicking and sexual abuse of the child, as well as it includes psychological abuse and
neglect under the umbrella term “child abuse”.
In the study here “child abuse” is defined as physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect as stipulated in
The Child Abuse Prevention Law. Some studies have reported that the pathology of sexual abuse originates in
perpetrator factors, such as the desire for emotional contact, through sexual stimulation [6]. Sexual abuse was
excluded from the study here because the pathology of sexual abuse may be seen to differ from the other types
of child abuse considered here.