Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse includes all forms of physical and emotional mistreatment, sexual abuse, and neglect of a child’s basic needs, which results in actual or potential harm to a child’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Exploitation of children is also a form of abuse and includes trafficking for sexual or economic purposes, and recruitment of children into armed forces.

An abused child may experience many forms of mistreatment in any one incident or over time; for example, emotional harm is a pervading factor in all types of abuse. The abuser may be a family member, a stranger, another child, or someone responsible for a child's well-being, such as a teacher or caretaker.

Children in every society are vulnerable to abuse, gender based violence, and exploitation, however children without parental care and those in high risk environments such as conflict areas, refugee camps, on the street, or in institutions, are particularly exposed to violence, denial of their basic human rights, and deprivation. All abuse has its origins in power imbalance and therefore is typically associated with fear, secrecy, and control. This makes identifying and speaking out about abuse very difficult for children, family members, the community and social services, particularly when it is committed within the privacy of the home.

Child abuse can cause physical and psychosocial problems, including HIV/AIDS infection, and is particularly damaging when repeated over a period of time. Children may manifest abuse via destructive or withdrawn behaviours, developmental delays, injuries or other health problems. The effects of abuse will vary from child to child and depend on the source, type and extent of the abuse, the child’s developmental stage and their disposition or resilience.

The process of identifying and responding to abuse requires skilled interventions in order to prevent further harm to the child, and will typically include police, medical, psychological, and social services in order to address the safety, physical, and emotional needs of the affected children. Any care plan must be in the best interests of the child and protect them and their siblings from harm. This will include consideration of the additional risks of abuse that are present for children in institutions and care placements. Such closed environments are extremely susceptible to abuse since they are frequently isolated, insufficiently regulated, and lacking in adequate supervision and safe reporting procedures. It is the role of social services to screen and monitor all child placements, including institutional, kinship, and foster care, to ensure the child’s safety and well-being.

It is the responsibility of the whole community to protect its children. Education and community awareness for children and adults on the risks, signs of abuse, and responses is vital for children without parental care and those in high risk situations, such as during a conflict or displacement when sexual violence, exploitation, and recruitment into armed forces are prevalent.

The literature in this section describes the types of abuse in more detail, including gender based violence, and provides example child protection procedures, policy papers, and other intervention tools.

Displaying 311 - 320 of 1067

Browse Other Topics

Integrating social protection and early childhood development: open trial of a family home-visiting intervention, Sugira Muryango

Theresa S. Betancourt, Emily Franchett, Catherine M. Kirk, Robert T. Brennan, Laura Rawlings, Briana Wilson, Aisha Yousafzai, Rose Wilder, Sylvere Mukunzi, Josee Mukandanga, Christian Ukundineza, Kalisa Godfrey & Vincent Sezibera - Early Child Development, 24 Apr 2019

A pre-post design with 6–13-month follow-up assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a home-visiting intervention to promote early childhood development, improve parenting and shared decision-making, and reduce violence in impoverished Rwandan households.

View Article

Child Neglect in Namibia: Emerging Themes and Future Directions

Victoria Sharley, Janetta Ananias, Alyson Rees, Emmerita Leonard - The British Journal of Social Work, 24 Apr 2019

This article initiates the conversation on the conceptualisation of child neglect in Namibia, reporting findings from a small study undertaken in 2017.

View Article

Timing of the first report and highest level of child protection response in association with early developmental vulnerabilities in an Australian population cohort

Larissa Rossen, Stacy Tzoumakis, Maina Kariuki, Kristin R. Laurens, Merran Butler, Marilyn Chilvers, Felicity Harris, Vaughan J. Carr, Melissa J. Green - Child Abuse & Neglect, 23 Apr 2019

This study examined associations between early developmental vulnerabilities and (1) the highest level of child protection response (where out-of-home care was deemed the highest response among other types of reports/responses), and (2) the developmental timing of the first child protection report.

View Article

Effects of an interdisciplinary approach to parental representation in child welfare

Lucas A. Gerber, Yuk C. Pang, Timothy Ross, Martin Guggenheim, Peter J. Pecora, Joel Miller - Children and Youth Services Review, 20 Apr 2019

This study utilizes a quasi-experimental propensity score matching design to assess the causal impact on child welfare outcomes when parents facing an abuse or neglect case in the New York City Family Court were provided interdisciplinary law office representation as opposed to a standard panel attorney.

View Article

Seven INSPIRE Strategies: Brief Interactive Summary Video

ChildHub, 18 Apr 2019

This video provides a short summary of the INSPIRE objective and goals, strategies included, measures to be implemented and good practices develop across the globe.

‘A Poor Prospect Indeed’: The State’s Disavowal of Child Abuse Victims in Youth Custody, 1960–1990

Ben Jarman and Caroline Lanskey - Societies, 18 Apr 2019

Drawing on original documentary research, this article aims to explain why and how state authorities in England and Wales failed to recognise the victimisation of children held in penal institutions between 1960 and 1990, and argues that this failure constitutes a disavowal of the state’s responsibility.

Ending violence against children: How the INSPIRE technical package can help

World Health Organization (WHO) & Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, 16 Apr 2019

This short webinar delivered by Dr Alex Butchart, WHO, and Ms Sabine Rakotomalala, Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, is an introduction to the evidence-based strategies and interventions gathered in INSPIRE, a technical package to reduce and prevent violence against children.

Country Care Review: Turkey

Better Care Network , 09 Apr 2019

This country care review includes the Concluding Observations for the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Committees' recommendations on the issue of Family Environment and Alternative Care as well as other care relevant issues are highlighted.

Country Care Review: Niger

Better Care Network, 09 Apr 2019

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as part of its examination of Niger's initial reports, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review.

Country Care Review: Senegal

Better Care Network, 09 Apr 2019

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.