DCF Child Abuse and Neglect (CAAN) Exam
Questions & Answers 2026/2027
All Modules Comprehensive Review
MODULE 1: IDENTIFYING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Section A: Definitions and Basic Concepts
1. What is the legal definition of a "child" under Florida law?
Answer: Any person under the age of 18 years .
2. Define "child abuse" according to Florida statutes.
Answer: Any willful act or threatened act that results in any physical, mental, or
sexual abuse, injury, or harm that causes or is likely to cause the child's physical,
mental, or emotional health to be significantly impaired .
3. Define "physical abuse."
Answer: The deliberate infliction of physical harm on a child. This includes
slapping, hitting, pushing, violently shaking a child, beating with objects, and
painful punishments such as kneeling or standing for long periods .
4. Define "sexual abuse."
Answer: Sexual contact or interaction between a child and an adult or older child.
This includes indecent exposure, fondling, touching sexual organs, forcible rape,
sodomy, exploitation, and showing pornography to a child .
5. Define "emotional abuse."
Answer: A consistent pattern of behavior that undermines a child's self-worth and
emotional development. Examples include telling a child they are unwanted,
unloved, or worthless .
6. Define "emotional neglect."
Answer: Failure to provide support, acceptance, attention, warmth, supervision,
and normal living experiences for a child to the extent that the child is impaired in
ability to function normally in performance and behavior .
,7. Define "child neglect."
Answer: The failure of a caregiver to provide for a child's basic needs, including
adequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision, medical care, and education .
8. What is the single leading cause of death for children ages four and
younger?
Answer: Child abuse and neglect .
9. How often is child abuse reported somewhere in the United States?
Answer: Every 10 seconds .
10. How many children die as a result of child abuse in the home in the United
States each day?
Answer: Three children .
11. What percentage of people report child abuse when faced with an actual
situation?
Answer: One-third (1/3) .
12. True or False: Strangers pose the greatest risk of sexual abuse to children.
Answer: False. Children are most often abused by someone they know and trust .
13. True or False: Child molesters get their sexual gratification only from
children.
Answer: False .
14. What is the average age that child molesters first attack a child?
Answer: In their teens .
15. Child abuse and neglect can occur in families of any .
Answer: Socioeconomic status .
16. Child care professionals have both a obligation and a
obligation to report child abuse.
Answer: Moral; legal .
Section B: Types of Abuse - Physical Abuse
, 17. What is a physical indicator of physical abuse?
Answer: Unexplained bruises, welts, burns, broken bones, lacerations, abrasions,
or evidence of domestic violence .
18. What are behavioral indicators of physical abuse?
Answer: Being wary of adult contact, apprehensive when other children cry,
behavioral extremes (aggressive or withdrawn), frightened of parents, afraid to go
home, reports injury by parents, shows anxiety about normal activities, easily
startled, wearing long sleeves/pants in warm weather, and engaging in banging,
hitting, or threatening play .
19. What can shaking a baby or young child cause?
Answer: Permanent brain damage, paralysis, blindness, seizures, developmental
delays, broken bones, and death .
20. What is Shaken Baby Syndrome?
Answer: A form of physical abuse where an infant or young child is violently
shaken, causing the brain to move back and forth inside the skull, resulting in
severe injury or death .
21. How can Shaken Baby Syndrome be prevented?
Answer: By educating those who care for young children about the dangers of
shaking a baby and being careful during play or physical activity .
22. What are some healthy coping strategies when dealing with a crying baby?
Answer: Taking deep slow breaths, taking a break, asking for help, and counting to
ten .
23. Scenario: For the third time this week, Kevin got mud all over his clothes
while playing outside. His mother Shelby put him in scalding hot bath water
as punishment. She kept her hand on his shoulder, pushing him down every
time he tried to get out. What type of abuse is this?
Answer: Physical abuse .
24. List three physical indicators of physical abuse.
Answer: Unexplained bruises or welts, burns (including scalding burns), and
broken bones .
Questions & Answers 2026/2027
All Modules Comprehensive Review
MODULE 1: IDENTIFYING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Section A: Definitions and Basic Concepts
1. What is the legal definition of a "child" under Florida law?
Answer: Any person under the age of 18 years .
2. Define "child abuse" according to Florida statutes.
Answer: Any willful act or threatened act that results in any physical, mental, or
sexual abuse, injury, or harm that causes or is likely to cause the child's physical,
mental, or emotional health to be significantly impaired .
3. Define "physical abuse."
Answer: The deliberate infliction of physical harm on a child. This includes
slapping, hitting, pushing, violently shaking a child, beating with objects, and
painful punishments such as kneeling or standing for long periods .
4. Define "sexual abuse."
Answer: Sexual contact or interaction between a child and an adult or older child.
This includes indecent exposure, fondling, touching sexual organs, forcible rape,
sodomy, exploitation, and showing pornography to a child .
5. Define "emotional abuse."
Answer: A consistent pattern of behavior that undermines a child's self-worth and
emotional development. Examples include telling a child they are unwanted,
unloved, or worthless .
6. Define "emotional neglect."
Answer: Failure to provide support, acceptance, attention, warmth, supervision,
and normal living experiences for a child to the extent that the child is impaired in
ability to function normally in performance and behavior .
,7. Define "child neglect."
Answer: The failure of a caregiver to provide for a child's basic needs, including
adequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision, medical care, and education .
8. What is the single leading cause of death for children ages four and
younger?
Answer: Child abuse and neglect .
9. How often is child abuse reported somewhere in the United States?
Answer: Every 10 seconds .
10. How many children die as a result of child abuse in the home in the United
States each day?
Answer: Three children .
11. What percentage of people report child abuse when faced with an actual
situation?
Answer: One-third (1/3) .
12. True or False: Strangers pose the greatest risk of sexual abuse to children.
Answer: False. Children are most often abused by someone they know and trust .
13. True or False: Child molesters get their sexual gratification only from
children.
Answer: False .
14. What is the average age that child molesters first attack a child?
Answer: In their teens .
15. Child abuse and neglect can occur in families of any .
Answer: Socioeconomic status .
16. Child care professionals have both a obligation and a
obligation to report child abuse.
Answer: Moral; legal .
Section B: Types of Abuse - Physical Abuse
, 17. What is a physical indicator of physical abuse?
Answer: Unexplained bruises, welts, burns, broken bones, lacerations, abrasions,
or evidence of domestic violence .
18. What are behavioral indicators of physical abuse?
Answer: Being wary of adult contact, apprehensive when other children cry,
behavioral extremes (aggressive or withdrawn), frightened of parents, afraid to go
home, reports injury by parents, shows anxiety about normal activities, easily
startled, wearing long sleeves/pants in warm weather, and engaging in banging,
hitting, or threatening play .
19. What can shaking a baby or young child cause?
Answer: Permanent brain damage, paralysis, blindness, seizures, developmental
delays, broken bones, and death .
20. What is Shaken Baby Syndrome?
Answer: A form of physical abuse where an infant or young child is violently
shaken, causing the brain to move back and forth inside the skull, resulting in
severe injury or death .
21. How can Shaken Baby Syndrome be prevented?
Answer: By educating those who care for young children about the dangers of
shaking a baby and being careful during play or physical activity .
22. What are some healthy coping strategies when dealing with a crying baby?
Answer: Taking deep slow breaths, taking a break, asking for help, and counting to
ten .
23. Scenario: For the third time this week, Kevin got mud all over his clothes
while playing outside. His mother Shelby put him in scalding hot bath water
as punishment. She kept her hand on his shoulder, pushing him down every
time he tried to get out. What type of abuse is this?
Answer: Physical abuse .
24. List three physical indicators of physical abuse.
Answer: Unexplained bruises or welts, burns (including scalding burns), and
broken bones .
