Which statement describes the elements included in statutes relating to physical abuse of a child?

• A. Neglect of a child without injury; Caregiver failure to prevent harm
• B. Economic exploitation; Non-physical harm; Failure to report
• C. Physical abuse of a child; Reckless causation of bodily harm; Failing to act to prevent bodily harm
• D. None of the above

Answer: (C)

Physical abuse of a child is about harming a child and the conduct that supports that harm, including the responsibility to intervene. The best description reflects three intertwined elements: the act of physical abuse of a child, the reckless causation of bodily harm, and the failure to act to prevent bodily harm when there is a duty to do so. In Wisconsin law, a caregiver or someone responsible for a child has a duty to protect the child; if they recklessly cause bodily harm or allow harm to occur by not acting, that omission can be part of the offense. So the statement that ties together actively causing physical injury (or recklessly causing bodily harm) and an obligation to prevent harm captures the scope of statutes addressing physical abuse of a child.

The other options describe neglect, economic exploitation, or non-physical harms, which are not the core elements of the physical abuse statute, nor do they align with the specific inclusion of an omission to act to prevent harm.