<p>One element of debate regarding the lack of unity in defining child abuse is the chronicity of the abusive behaviors or the duration/frequency of child abuse within the life of a child. Research has also indicated that demographic factors (e.g., race/ethnicity) can affect perceptions of when behaviors are considered abusive. The current study aims to answer three research questions: how often does a behavior have to occur for someone to perceive it as abusive, do demographic differences exist in perceptions of different types of abuse, and which characteristics are most associated with perceptions of each category of abuse? An original survey of three types of abusive behaviors: physical, sexual, and psychological was conducted including parental alienation, and results indicate that for nearly all the behaviors, participants rated them as only needing to occur once to be considered abusive. Findings also showed significant ethnic differences across ratings of physical and psychological abuse. Lastly, we found statistically significant differences in ratings of chronicity for all three forms of abuse across ethnicity and gender. The discussion centers on understanding these demographic differences in ratings, as well as other considerations for how of abuse is perceived.</p>