§ 6304. Exclusions from child abuse
Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated StatutesTitle 23 Pa.C.S.A. Domestic RelationsEffective: December 31, 2014
Effective: December 31, 2014
23 Pa.C.S.A. § 6304
§ 6304. Exclusions from child abuse
(a) Environmental factors.--No child shall be deemed to be physically or mentally abused based on injuries that result solely from environmental factors, such as inadequate housing, furnishings, income, clothing and medical care, that are beyond the control of the parent or person responsible for the child's welfare with whom the child resides. This subsection shall not apply to any child-care service as defined in this chapter, excluding an adoptive parent.
(b) Practice of religious beliefs.--If, upon investigation, the county agency determines that a child has not been provided needed medical or surgical care because of sincerely held religious beliefs of the child's parents or relative within the third degree of consanguinity and with whom the child resides, which beliefs are consistent with those of a bona fide religion, the child shall not be deemed to be physically or mentally abused. In such cases the following shall apply:
(d) Rights of parents.--Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to restrict the generally recognized existing rights of parents to use reasonable force on or against their children for the purposes of supervision, control and discipline of their children. Such reasonable force shall not constitute child abuse.
(e) Participation in events that involve physical contact with child.--An individual participating in a practice or competition in an interscholastic sport, physical education, a recreational activity or an extracurricular activity that involves physical contact with a child does not, in itself, constitute contact that is subject to the reporting requirements of this chapter.
(g) Defensive force.--Reasonable force for self-defense or the defense of another individual, consistent with the provisions of 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 505 (relating to use of force in self-protection) and 506 (relating to use of force for the protection of other persons), shall not be considered child abuse.
Credits
2013, Dec. 18, P.L. 1170, No. 108, § 2, effective Dec. 31, 2014.
23 Pa.C.S.A. § 6304, PA ST 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 6304
Current through Act 11 of the 2024 Regular Session. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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