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Child Abuse, Victims of

The term battered child syndrome was first used in the 1960s to describe physical child abuse. At that time, it was believed that this phenomenon applied to a minor portion of the population. In 2006, substantiated child abuse victims ranged from 9.7 to 12.1 in North America. Child neglect accounts for almost two-thirds (65 percent) of all documented cases of child abuse in the United States followed by physical abuse (16 percent) and sexual abuse (9 percent). Psychological abuse is not looked at individually as it is central to all child abuse.

General Characteristics of Victims of Child Abuse

Children living below the poverty line are at the greatest risk for child abuse. Physical is 12 times more common in poor families, while neglect is ...

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