Child Abuse Prevention

"Child Abuse Prevention

April is National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. Children and families thrive when they have access to safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. Learn how to prevent child abuse and neglect before it begins with CDC’s resources!

Facts about Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse and neglect are significant public health problems in the United States:

• In 2017, an estimated 1,720 children died from abuse and neglect.
• About 674,000 children were identified as victims of child abuse or neglect by child protective service agencies in 2017.
• An estimated one in four children have experienced abuse or neglect at some point in their lives.

Child Abuse and Neglect Are Preventable

Children’s lives are shaped by their experiences, including what happens in their environment and the types of relationships they have with parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Children who experience abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are also at increased risk for negative health consequences and certain chronic diseases as adults. Safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are essential to preventing child abuse and neglect. Additionally, policies and programs that are supportive of children and families can help prevent such abuse and neglect.

Resources for Prevention

CDC works to prevent child abuse and neglect before it begins.

• CDC’s technical package, Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities Cdc-pdf[3.9 MB] can help states and communities prevent child abuse and neglect. The technical package is a collection of strategies that represent the best available evidence and supports CDC’s Essentials for Childhood framework.
• The Essentials for Childhood Framework Cdc-pdf[5.5 MB] includes strategies to promote relationships and environments that can help create neighborhoods, communities, and a world in which every child can thrive.
• Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers is a free, online resource that is also available in Spanish. It provides a unique opportunity to receive evidence-based parenting information from a trustworthy source—CDC.

Visit CDC’s VetoViolence website for free violence prevention trainings, tools, and resources.."
Child Abuse

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
"Child maltreatment is a significant public health problem in the United States. In 2007, approximately 772,000 children were confirmed by Child Protective Services as being abused or neglected. These confirmed cases, however, represent only a fraction of the true magnitude of the problem. Most cases are not reported and child maltreatment remains a largely hidden problem.

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that child maltreatment can lead to a broad range of physical and emotional health problems. Short-term physical injuries include cuts, bruises, burns, and broken bones. Abuse can also lead to permanent disabilities including visual, motor, and cognitive impairments. Prolonged maltreatment causes extreme or "toxic" stress that can disrupt early brain development and impair the functioning of the nervous and immune systems, leaving children vulnerable to chronic diseases later in life. For example, maltreatment has been associated with heart, lung, and liver disease in adulthood.

Not all injuries that result from child maltreatment are visible. Abuse and neglect can have a lasting emotional impact as well. Victims may suffer from anxiety or depression. They may be wary, distrustful of others, and have difficulty establishing relationships. Some even think about or attempt suicide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to stop maltreatment, including abuse and neglect, before it initially occurs. In doing this, CDC promotes the development of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and their parents or caregivers. Children's experiences are defined through their relationships with parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Healthy relationships act as a buffer against adverse childhood experiences. They are necessary to ensure the long-term physical and emotional well-being of children."