Child Abuse and Neglect

Definition and Epidemiology

The first official case of child maltreatment in the United States was documented in 1873. Since then, controversy has existed over how to define child abuse and neglect. This debate has been largely political, leading to shifts over time regarding what acts are considered abusive or neglectful. For example, when funding allocation for social services is low, only the most severe cases of maltreatment are investigated. In addition, tension has existed between liberal and conservative views regarding the degree to which the government has the right to intervene in families, with the latter tending to be more broadly committed to the protection of parental rights to raise their children as they see fit. Moreover, there has been ongoing dispute over whether child maltreatment should be defined based on the actions of the perpetrator or on the effects on the child. Additionally, researchers debate over whether to consult public records or to interview children directly to ascertain that maltreatment has occurred. The lack of a clear definition for child maltreatment, or an agreed-upon standard for identifying an incident, can cause prevalence estimates to vary considerably.

Recent estimates from public records suggest that 12 out of every 1,000 children in the United States have been victims of child maltreatment. This estimate is most likely a gross underrepresen-tation, as it only reflects documented occurrences. Of the documented cases, it has been estimated that approximately 63 percent involve neglect, 17 percent involve physical abuse, 9 percent involve sexual abuse, and 7 percent involve emotional abuse. However, these estimates may also be misleading as research indicates that the vast majority of maltreated children experience more than one type of maltreatment.

Research has helped to elucidate the detrimental effects that various types of maltreatment can have on children. Findings suggest that the effects of child maltreatment on relationships can be particularly harmful if the maltreatment occurs during the first 5 years of life or is chronic in nature. Research also has indicated that the severity and type of maltreatment can have differential impacts on children depending on the child's developmental stage at the time of the maltreatment. More specifically, the severity of emotional abuse in infancy and toddlerhood, as well as physical abuse during the preschool period, are especially potent predictors of later acting out behaviors both in the context of familial and peer relationships. Acting [Page 208]out behaviors may include physical aggression, bullying, or verbal hostility. Conversely, the severity of neglect during the preschool years is associated with depressed and withdrawn behavior such as social isolation, tearfulness, and thoughts of suicide.

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