Child abuse is generally the mistreatment of a child by a parent or caregiver—through actions or inactions—that causes injury, death, or emotional harm to the child—or that places the child at serious risk of such injury, death, or emotional harm. Mistreatment that constitutes child abuse may take many forms, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, failure to supervise, and exploitation. Child abuse laws vary from state to state and are usually located in a state’s family code and criminal or penal code.

In Tennessee, child abuse is defined and regulated under both civil and criminal statutes. The Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) includes provisions that address various forms of child abuse, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Under TCA § 39-15-401 and § 39-15-402, individuals can be charged with child abuse or neglect if they knowingly treat a child in a way that inflicts injury, or if they fail to act to prevent such injury. Sexual abuse of a child is also a criminal offense under TCA § 39-13-501 to § 39-13-511. Tennessee law mandates that certain professionals and individuals report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Department of Children's Services. Failure to report can result in legal consequences. The state also has specific statutes that address the failure to supervise and exploitation of children. The Tennessee Department of Children's Services is the agency responsible for investigating reports of child abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action to protect the welfare of children.