Citation

Guastaferro K, Shipe SL. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023; 21(1): e20.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph21010020

PMID

38248485

Abstract

Child maltreatment is a global public health issue known to affect an average of 600,000 U.S. children of all ages (0-18 years old) annually. However, a preponderance of preventive programs target children on the younger end of the spectrum, specifically those aged 0-5. Annual reports of the prevalence of maltreatment provide opportunities to analyze trends, but in 2009, these reports stopped reporting the ages of victims for each type of maltreatment (i.e., neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse). This omission limits the ability to match (or design) prevention programs responsive to the ages of those at greatest risk. Using data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) from 2011-2020, this secondary data analysis describes trends for four types of maltreatment by age from an epidemiological perspective. Implications for practice (i.e., prevention) and policy are presented. The findings of this study offer the first step in what is hoped to be a line of research that seeks to identify, match, and/or develop evidence-based programs to prevent child maltreatment among the populations at highest risk.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescent; Child; Humans; Policy; Child, Preschool; Infant; Infant, Newborn; prevention; child maltreatment; prevalence; Hope; *Child Abuse/prevention & control; Emotional Abuse; Physical Abuse