Child Abuse

Ms. offers stories about the abuse of children related to feminist issues and the pursuit of human rights for all. Abortion, adoption, sexual abuse, criminalization of women, drug criminalization and harmful legislation all intersect with the issue of child abuse.

Advocates Beat 91 Percent of Last Year’s Anti-LGBTQ Bills. How?

While the trans community still faces unprecedented legislative attacks, with 49 bills passing into law in 2024, there are key strategies that activists are using to fight back.

On March 6, Montana State Representatives Zooey Zephyr and SJ Howell stood up to speak against two of the 527 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in U.S. state legislatures this year. One bill would ban drag performances and pride marches as “hypersexualized shows,” and the other would require “the emergency removal of a child who is transitioning gender with the support of a parent” by state Child Protective Services.

Cutting the Workforce at HHS Undermines the Social Safety Net. Families and Kids Will Suffer the Most.

The Administration for Children and Families plays a quiet but crucial role in upholding the American social safety net—administering billions in federal funds to programs that support children, families, and vulnerable communities. But devastating cuts to ACF staff and offices threaten to unravel this lifeline, with immediate consequences already surfacing.

Without experienced civil servants to oversee grants, answer questions and approve disbursements, the very programs meant to catch people in crisis are being pushed to the brink. And in the long term, it’s families and kids who will pay the highest price.

Justice on Their Terms: Empowering Plaintiffs Through Anonymity 

The day that a survivor of sexual abuse files a lawsuit is a difficult and painful day, but also one that starts a journey toward justice.  

For many plaintiffs, stepping forward is not only the start of a legal proceeding but also an act of immense courage. It often involves sharing deeply personal and traumatic experiences with the court and, potentially, the public. This is why plaintiffs must have the option and privacy protection to have their cases filed under pseudonyms.

This issue is at the center of a recent high-profile case against Sean “Diddy” Combs, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that a woman suing under the pseudonym “Jane Doe” must reveal her real name or face dismissal of her lawsuit.

Beyond Valentine’s Day: The Love We Celebrate and the Abuse We Ignore

The ways we recognize and talk about abuse, control and harm remain largely trapped in outdated narratives—ones that fail to account for the complexities of love beyond traditional partnerships. Expanding the definition of domestic violence is not about diluting its meaning; it’s about making it more accurate.

In recent years, Valentine’s Day has been reclaimed and reshaped to celebrate love in all its forms—beyond romance and sex. Galentine’s Day, self-love rituals and the celebration of deep platonic connections have gained mainstream recognition, expanding our collective understanding of what love can be. Slowly, we’ve made space for the friendships, chosen families and personal growth that shape our lives just as profoundly as romantic relationships do. But while our definition of love has evolved, our understanding of its darker sides has not. When we fail to name violence in queer relationships, in parent-child dynamics or in sibling abuse, we erase entire groups of survivors. Without recognition, they are left without language to describe their experiences and without access to the support they need.

Elon Musk and the Phony Far-Right Narrative of ‘Protecting’ Women

Across the 2000s, a series of child sex exploitation cases affected British towns, including Telford, Rochdale, Oxford and Rotherham, scarring the lives of hundreds of children. In 2011, Times journalist Andrew Norfolk reported that networks—so-called “grooming gangs”—of largely British Asian men of Pakistani heritage had trafficked and raped hundreds of mainly girls and young women. Elon Musk—the billionaire owner of social media platform X and incoming lead on US government efficiency—has, it seems, just found out about this devastating national scandal.

Musk has aligned himself with a gendered narrative: It is men’s duty to protect women—even when it means breaking rules or using force. This gender binary—strong men must be ready to use force to protect weak women, especially from hostile alien men—is the core narrative of patriarchal, nationalist, ultra nationalist and also Nazi groups.

When Protecting Girls Is Twisted Into Attacking Trans Youth: FGM/C Survivors Fight Back Against Transphobic Right-Wing Narratives

Efforts are underway around the world to ban female genital mutilation/cutting, and 41 U.S. states have laws on the books to address it. 

But the efforts of survivors and activists—and I’m both—have been hamstrung by the current wave of conservative opposition to medical care for trans youth, yet another ugly consequence of the crackdown on rights for transgender Americans. As we try to make sure that girls who are at risk of FGM/C, or who are dealing with the consequences of it, have the protections they need, those who oppose rights for trans people are weaponizing the laws we advocated for to deny trans youth the gender-affirming care they need.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Advances Healing and Justice for Indigenous Peoples

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On Friday, Oct. 25, at Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, President Joseph Biden delivered a formal apology on behalf of the United States to an assembly of Native American leaders for the genocidal impact of 150 years of U.S. Indian boarding schools, which sought to erase Indigenous people, culture and languages.

“I formally apologize as president of the United States of America for what we did,” said President Biden. “It’s long overdue.”

This apology came as a result of years of work by Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo. The U.S. Department of the Interior oversees U.S. relations to American Indians, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiians.

The Digital War on Women: Sexualized Deepfakes, Weaponized Data and Stalkerware That Monitors Victims Online

The 2024 U.S. election is over, but the online abuse of women in politics is set to intensify.

Around the world, a growing number of female candidates have been targeted by manipulated explicit content; and while the harm escalates fast, legal recourse is lengthy. Moreover, nearly any system that collects and shares location data can now be weaponized against its users. Digital surveillance can have a devastating impact on women, especially given the lack of robust legal or social protections against gender-based violence. 

It’s the Season of the Witch. No, Not Halloween—Election Day!

The persecution of witches has never been about magic, it’s always been about punishing (mostly) women who do not conform to patriarchal standards. It’s as true today as it was in 1692. 

Are you a witch? If you wear trousers, can read, and want control over your own body and money, you bet your pointy-hat you are. As you prepare for this scary season, don’t despair—use your magic power. In 2024, don’t cast a spell, cast a vote. 

How Can We End Child Marriage? Don’t Give Underage Girls Spousal Visas.

The Child Marriage Prevention Act is intended to combat child marriage—but some provisions in the bill actually would contradict, undermine and obstruct the national and global commitment to end child marriage by the end of the decade.

Sen. Durbin must withdraw or amend the Child Marriage Prevention Act. Girls in the U.S. and across the globe are relying on us to keep our promise to end all marriage before age 18, no exceptions.