If a child gets sunburned, should the parents be charged for child abuse?
At worst, letting a child get sunburned is neglect, not abuse. I don’t even see this case as neglect, since she “neglected” herself, too. Mishaps are part of childhood, and even the most caring and alert parent can’t prevent them all. I fear that we as a society are becoming all too quick to find someone to blame for anything that goes wrong.
my mom was a dermatologist and she was always extremely careful about putting sunscreen on way before people became aware of the need for sunscreen. That being said, despite her best efforts, I did get sunburned several times as a kid. Sometimes it’s really difficult to prevent it. If it happens once or twice, it’s an honest mistake and it’s not abuse. Letting them get sunburn over and over again is dangerous, irresponsible and borderline abuse. Getting red once is a stupid mistake that happens to everybody. If they got burnt really badly and got heatstroke, or if the parents ignored any signs of serious sunburn (blisters, swelling, fever), then the parents should be charged.
