ded upon at the conference; any amended category is to be recorded as the latest category of abuse. The categories are defined for the purpose of this collection as follows: Neglect Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. For instance, a parent or carer may fail to: • provide adequate food, shelter, or clothing (including exclusion from home or abandonment); • protect a child from physical harm, emotional harm, or danger; • ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); • ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs. More information on childhood neglect including training and resource materials can be found in Safeguarding children. Physical abuse Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer deliberately fabricates symptoms or induces illness in a child. The fabrication and deliberate inducement or symptoms relate to conditions such as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Sexual abuse Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, regardless of whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. Such activities may involve physical contact, including non-penetrative and penetrative acts (for example rape, buggery, or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact 54 activities, such as i