According to Random House Unabridged Dictionary (2006)

Abuse... (noun)

Bad or improper treatment; maltreatment: The child was subjected to cruel abuse.

Maltreatment... (verb)

To treat or handle badly, cruelly, or roughly; abuse: to maltreat a prisoner.

(Notice the instances of the word "cruel" and "cruelly"????)

These definitions are from a dictionary that was only updated 2 years ago. The definition of "abuse" has not changed since archaic times (circa 1400 actually).

The DoCS definition of "abuse" is not a definition what so ever... It is an umbrella term that has as many definitions as can possibly be squeezed underneath it.

This dictionary also refers to masturbation as an idiom for abuse ("abuse oneself") (sorry guys - don't mean to be crude here)... But would a child be removed from it's home due to masturbation? NO!!

DoCS workers would have a giggle amongst themselves about it and a Magistrate would throw it out of court.

My point is that GENUINE abuse (dictionary definition) means criminal charges.

Where do I get my information from? Newspaper clippings about my own husband - thank you very much!!