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Abuse And Neglect

Child abuse and neglect continue to be serious problems in U.S. society. At some time in their careers, all school personnel are likely to encounter a child who has been maltreated. Through early identification and prevention efforts, educators can play a critical role in helping these children.

Prevalence of Child Maltreatment

In most instances, acts of child abuse and neglect are initially unknown to anyone except the child and the perpetrator. Given the private nature of these acts, the child's concern about stigmatization and loss, and the offender's fear of criminal prosecution, many instances of abuse and neglect are not reported to authorities. Prevalence rates are hard to ascertain, and are estimated from two sources: reports of substantiated child abuse, and surveys in which adults are asked to recount prior experiences of abuse even if these instances had not been reported when they occurred.

For example, the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) is based on state Child Protective Services (CPS) reports. Analysis of the data collected in 2000 found three million referrals to CPS, with 879,000 children identified as maltreated. This is a conservative estimate of the problem, however, as it is based solely on counts of reported and substantiated abuse and neglect. Retrospective adult surveys provide a broader base of information, because they include instances of abuse that were never reported to authorities. Finkelhor (1994) reviewed recent adult surveys and concluded that approximately 20% of women and 5% to 10% of men in the United States had experienced some form of sexual abuse as children, with only one third of those cases reported and substantiated. This estimate did not include instances of physical abuse or neglect.

Despite difficulties inherent in developing prevalence rates of abuse and neglect, estimates indicate that it is a serious national problem. Most importantly, the numbers suggest that most school personnel will encounter children who have been maltreated, although they may not be aware of the identity of these students.

Defining Abuse and Neglect

Abuse and neglect are terms used in everyday discourse, but they have specific and distinct meanings when applied to child maltreatment. Two types of child abuse, physical and sexual, and one type of neglect, physical, are addressed here. Physical abuse is commonly defined as a nonaccidental injury inflicted on a child by another person. Sexual abuse is the sexual assault or exploitation of a child, and can include rape, incest, or other forms of molestation. Either type of abuse can occur as an isolated incident, or frequently over a period of years.

Although it accounts for more than half of CPS reports each year, there has been a neglect of neglect in research on child maltreatment. Neglect is defined by the omission of behavior by a parent or caregiver if that omission harms the child, or poses a significant risk of harm to the child. Parents can be willfully neglectful out of hostility, or unintentionally neglectful because of factors such as poverty or depression. To the child, the impact of the neglect is the same regardless of the reasons for it. Thus, definitions of child neglect focus on the unmet needs of the child regardless of parental intent. Physical neglect, including the failure to provide safety from harm or meet the child's basic physical needs, is the most common form of neglect reported. Emotional neglect, defined as an inability to meet the child's needs for connection and support, is more difficult to document, although it can also have serious consequences for the child.

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