In re Shane T.
Family Court of New York
453 N.Y.S.2d 590 (1982)
For years, Shane T.'s father (defendant) verbally harassed him with slurs relating to his perceived sexuality, both privately and publicly, tormenting Shane to the point of crying and stomach knots; his mother's attempts to intervene failed and the harassment worsened, with Shane eventually entering therapy given his father's history of violent behavior and Shane's constant fear of him. The father claimed the taunting was disciplinary, meant to "toughen the boy up," and a proceeding was brought to designate Shane an "abused child" under New York law.
Whether a father's years of verbal harassment relating to his son's perceived sexuality, causing substantial emotional and physical torment but no direct physical force, renders the son an "abused child" under New York law.