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Extent and Consequences of Child Maltreatment

NCJ Number
173922
Journal
Future of Children Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 1998 Pages: 39-53
Author(s)
D J English
Date Published
1998
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Child abuse and neglect are discussed with respect to the way they are defined, the controversies surrounding the definition, statistics regarding the prevalence and incidence of child maltreatment, characteristics of families prone to abuse or neglect, the impact of maltreatment on children, and the efforts of child protection agencies.
Abstract
Federal law has established a broad definition of child maltreatment, but States are responsible for defining the details. The difficulty of determining an appropriate government role in the lives of children and families underlies the debate over how broadly or narrowly to define child maltreatment. Self-report studies of parents suggest that several million children experience physical or sexual abuse each year and that psychological abuse is more common. Neglect apparently affects about twice as many children as do physical and sexual abuse. Current estimates indicate that between 50 percent and 80 percent of families involved with child protective services are dealing with a problem of drug abuse. Abused or neglected children are more likely than nonabused children to perform poorly in school; to commit crimes; and to experience emotional problems, sexual problems, and drug abuse as they become older. Debate continues about the extent to which the government should be involved in the lives of abused children. Nevertheless, child protection agencies have responded to increasing reports of child maltreatment by developing risk-assessment systems or guidelines to target limited resources to serve the children experiencing the most imminent risk. Figures, photographs, checklists, and 49 references (Author abstract modified)