An Act defining abuse and neglect of a child

This bill amends Massachusetts state law to provide clearer definitions for child abuse and neglect. It expands the scope of who can be held responsible for abuse to include any individual, not just caregivers, and specifies that neglect covers failures to provide essential needs like food, shelter, and medical care, even if the failure is due to negligence rather than intent. The legislation also clarifies what constitutes physical and sexual abuse by listing specific factors to consider, such as power imbalances and the child's maturity, while explicitly excluding consensual communication between peers from the definition of sexual abuse. These changes aim to update legal standards to better reflect modern understandings of child safety and welfare.