What is Abuse and Neglect?

Abuse and neglect of children occurs in families from all walks of life, and across all socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic groups. There is no single, identifiable cause Of child maltreatment; rather, it occurs as a result of an interaction of multiple forces impacting the family. While certain factors related to parents, children, families, and the environment are commonly associated with a greater incidence of child maltreatment, the presence of these factors alone is not sufficient for abusive situations to develop. Stated differently, the presence of known risk factors does not always lead to family violence, and factors that may cause violence in one family may not result in violence in another family.

There are four main types of child maltreatment: physical, abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Physical abuse is the infliction of physical injury by Various methods, even if the perpetrator does not intend. Child neglect is the failure to provide for the child's basic needs and can be physical, educational, or emotional. Sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in any kind of sexual act, including prostitution or pornography; many believe this is the most underreported type of abuse. Emotional abuse is an act or omission that has caused, or could cause, serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders. These types of maltreatment often occur together within a family, though they can appear alone as well.

Emerging Practices in Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

Prevention of socially undesirable and hazardous behaviors cannot only save lives, but also precious resources. While impossible to entirely eradicate certain kinds of behavior that can have tragic human consequences, including the maltreatment of children, human service professionals have been buoyed by improvements over time across numerous major indices that measure the health and well-being of individuals and families. Public education campaigns that increase awareness by delivering steady messages can alter behavior, saving lives and critical resources in the process. The following illustrate a few of the significant recent trends in health-related measures of well-being. Efforts to raise awareness about social problems, such as the hazards of smoking and tobacco use and driving under the influence of alcohol and illegal substances, are compelling. Such efforts have energized professionals across fields about the potential of public education campaigns, in concert with various direct programs and services targeted toward high-risk populations, to reduce socially undesirable outcomes and medically hazardous behaviors among both adults and teenagers.

How did we come up with the cost?

These analyses frequently estimate both direct and indirect costs associated with child maltreatment. Direct costs include those associated with addressing the immediate needs of maltreated children. They might include:

• Hospitalization for severe injuries resulting from abuse and neglect
• Medical treatment (such as physician visits, emergency department visits, outpatient clinics, dental visits, physical therapy, etc.) for health problems resulting from abuse and neglect
• Mental health treatment for issues resulting from abuse and neglect
• Child welfare services to intervene in existing cases of child abuse and neglect
• Law enforcement and judicial system costs associated with intervention

Indirect costs include those associated with the long-term and secondary effects of maltreatment, as well as productivity losses for the abused child (missing school) or parent/caretaker (needing to attend criminal hearings or stay home with an injured child). Examples of indirect costs include:

• Special education costs
• Treatment for chronic physical and mental heal the problems as a result of child abuse and neglect
• Costs of increased juvenile delinquency and adult criminality
• Lost productivity to society (due to decreased earning potential, unemployment, or premature death)
• Costs associated with treatment of increased substance abuse