Child abuse has existed for centuries but society has been slow to acknowledge it. It can constitute physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect. Up until the 17th century, children were considered to be the possessions of their parents and it was accepted that they might harm them. It was only in the 1970s that non-accidental injury of children was accepted as a common occurrence, following the description of battered child syndrome in 1962. Corporal punishment existed in schools in Britain until 30 years ago and was thought to be a necessity. Now there is debate regarding the smacking of children.

The first child protection agency was formed in Liverpool in 1883, followed by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in 1890. The start of the education system in 1870 allowed for children to be observed at school every day for the first time.

Child sexual abuse was less talked about. Incest was a crime according to the Christian Church from the 1700s but was only made a criminal offence in the UK in 1908. Papers in the literature relating to child sexual abuse start mainly from the 1980s. There have been many high-profile cases reported in the press over the years, such as Maria Colwell in 1974, the Cleveland Inquiry in 1987 and, more recently, Victoria Climbie, who died in 2000 with 108 injuries on her body. All have highlighted loopholes in the child protection system.