See, my problem is these are the only two forms of abuse really looked at. What about psychological/emotional abuse? Should it really be legal for a parent to come home every single day and tell their kids, that they hate their guts, they're worthless pieces of shit, they should have aborted them, and they wish they would just die? Because, I'm pretty sure, that could fuck a kid up in the head pretty bad. Apparently, that's fully legal, though. I know, because I've turned someone in to child services. All they were interested in was the physical abuse, though they said they would make a note of the other stuff. I was actually rather disheartened to find that out, as it meant had anyone actually given enough of a shit about the way my dad treated me to turn him in, it wouldn't have made a damn bit of difference. He never put a hand on me, but he stayed in my face every single day, reminding me just how much he treasured my existence (sarcasm).
As for the parents I turned in, my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I tried to counter off some of the abuse, by being a positive force in the kid's lives, but it was mainly my selfish feelings for them and their mother, that kept me silent. I knew, that I'd lose my spot in their lives, the moment I turned her and the dad in. Though, I was afraid, that the kids might end up somewhere worse (though when I think about it, I don't believe that's possible), or their mom would kill herself if she fully lost them. Never mind the fact, that she constantly chose to abandon them for men, put them around men who abused her and them, and much like my own home, they had no safe place, as mom and dad were bad enough, but grandpa was a fucking psycho. It cost me four people, that I still love more than my own life, but rare are the moments I put others ahead of me and even rarer the moments I give a damn about doing the "right" thing, so I'm proud I did what I could, legally speaking. I wanted to beat their dad to death with a wrench and pay someone to knock some sense into their mother. Even if the psychological abuse isn't considered illegal, I'll put money on the poor kids ending up just as troubled as me and their mother.