Torture differs from abuse in that perpetrators of torture leverage their control over the victim's access to the necessities of life in order to gain compliance, information, or some other desired behavioral outcome.
Examples include
- sleep deprivation
- forced nudity
- waterboarding
- forced ingestion of waste, chemicals, or caustic substances
- solitary confinement
- physical binding
- and more.

Due to the extreme nature of the maltreatment, intra-familial childhood torture has a 36% fatality rate.
These crimes tend to occur in extreme isolation, so this number may actually be higher.

2 physical assaults [or] 1 extended assault
PLUS
2 forms of psychological maltreatment
RESULTING IN
prolonged suffering
permanent disfigurement/dysfunction
or death

All currently available humanitarian aid in the US for surivors of childhood torture is reserved for people who were either tortured in other countries and are now living in the US or for people who survived state-sanctioned torture during a recognized national or international conflict. Both of these criteria exclude people who were tortured on US soil during childhood.

Non War Related Childhood Torture is a humanitarian crisis.
A comprehensive humanitarian aid package must include:
- housing assistance
- funding for research
- funding for long term psychiatric care
- educational support
- public awareness & education / prevention
- funding for long term medical expenses
- foster reform
- and more!