Endangering a child can get a defendant up to one year in prison in the state of New York; up to six years in prison in the state of California; and up to ten years in prison in the state of Illinois. Although child endangerment penalties vary from state to state - as do many laws - the penalties for such acts are rigid.

Child endangerment can be described as criminal offenses in which adults subject minor children to situations that are dangerous, inappropriate or both. One does not have to directly do anything to a child as in cases of child abuse. The key in child endangerment is that an opportunity for harm to be done to a child exists in the form of some kind of exposure. As a result the penalties set for defendants convicted of child endangerment acts are similar to penalties for actual child abuse violations.

At times, child endangerment acts may seem difficult for the general population to discern. This is because a perplexing aspect of child endangerment laws lies within the laws themselves as sort of an inherent Catch-22 involving classification of child endangering acts that perpetrators may not realize they are committing. In other words, despite the fact that endangering culprits often endanger children with full knowledge of their actions; there are times when offenders "unknowingly" endanger children - times when they are, in fact, unaware they're in the midst of committing crimes.

Examples:

~ Parents who - due to religious beliefs such as Christian Science - practice prayer over medicinal intervention even when their children are injured or otherwise have illnesses that require hospitalization can be prosecuted in some states for child endangerment - especially if a child dies or sustains permanent bodily damage due to an illness or injury. Although these religious parents may believe they are merely adhering to the practices of their faith the law may view these acts as forms of neglect.

~ Drinking to the point of inebriation or consuming any impairing drug - particularly illegal drugs - while caring for children places the children in endangering predicaments. Even exposing children to certain chemicals, firearms, pornography, domestic violence or criminal activity can constitute forms of child endangerment.

Whether caregivers are aware or indifferent in regards to committing acts that place children in dangerous situations, however; the laws are clear - and so is their purpose. They have to be - in order to protect children

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