Glossary

Panic attacks are characterized by the sudden onset of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by certain physical and emotional symptoms such as chest pain or discomfort, feeling choked, dizziness, unsteadiness or fainting.

Peer victimization is defined as aggressive behaviors perpetrated repeatedly by one or more young people against another young person, in a context where the aggressor is in a position of superiority vis-à-vis of the victim, or in a context of power imbalance.

An individual who commits harmful, illegal or immoral acts such as sexual abuse.

Generally defined as "any nonaccidental physical injury to the child" and can include striking, kicking, burning, or biting the child, or any action that results in a physical impairment of the child.

Failure to provide for a child's basic survival needs, such as nutrition, clothing, shelter, hygiene, and medical care. Physical neglect may also involve inadequate supervision of a child and other forms of reckless disregard of the child's safety and welfare.

Polyvictimization refers to the experience of multiple types of victimization such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, bullying, and exposure to family violence versus multiple episodes of the same kind of victimization.

Post-traumatic stress disorder results from exposure to death or threat of death, serious injury, or sexual violence to self or others and causing significant distress and pervasive symptoms over a long period of time of time.

Strengths and resources that appear to mediate or serve as a "buffer" against risk factors that contribute to vulnerability to maltreatment or against the negative effects of maltreatment experiences.

A pattern of caregiver behaviors that negatively affect the child's cognitive, social, emotional, and/or physical development. These include acts of omission (ignoring need for social interactions) or commission (spurning, terrorizing). They may be verbal or nonverbal, active or passive, and with or without intent to harm.