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

Child Abuse Prevention

"April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The Division of Violence Prevention at CDC works to better understand the problem of child abuse and neglect and to prevent it before it begins.

Essentials for Childhood: Assuring safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children is CDC's framework for preventing child abuse and neglect. 

Facts about Child Abuse and Neglect

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

• More than 1,670 children died in the United States in 2015 from abuse and neglect.
• According to child protective service agencies, about 683,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in 2015.
• One in 4 children have experienced abuse or neglect at some point in their lives, and 1 in 7 children experienced abuse in the last year, according to self-reports from the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV). 
• The financial costs for victims and society are substantial. A CDC study showed the total lifetime cost associated with just 1 year of confirmed cases of child abuse or neglect is $124 billion...."

Child Abuse

Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Package

"Learn about CDC’s new technical package for use by states and communities to help prevent child abuse.

Child abuse and neglect affect children’s health now and later, and costs to our country are significant. Safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children and families can prevent child abuse and neglect and can help all children reach their full potential. CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention (DVP) created a technical package for states and communities to use in applying the best available evidence in preventing child abuse and neglect. Learn more about CDC’s technical package to prevent child abuse and neglect...".

Child Abuse

The Prevention of Violence Against Children: A Global Effort

"November 19th is the International Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Learn more about how CDC is protecting the futures of children all around the world with the Violence Against Children Survey.

On September 25th, the United Nations released a comprehensive list of Sustainable Development Goals designed to improve global inequalities by 2030. These goals, ranging from improvements in economic growth and clean energy to ending world hunger, require that all people from all parts of the world join together for the common good of humanity. They ask that we recognize each of the goals as imperative to the well-being of future generations, which is a timely reminder as we approach the International Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse on November 19th..."
Child abuse

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

"Facts about Child Maltreatment
Child Maltreatment is a significant public health problem in the United States.

• According to Child Protective Service agencies, more than 686,000 children were victims of maltreatment in 2012.
• Another 1,640 children died in the United States in 2012 from abuse and neglect.
• The financial costs for victims and society are substantial. A recent CDC study showed that the total lifetime estimated financial cost associated with just 1 year of confirmed cases of child maltreatment is $124 billion..."

Child abuse

Child Maltreatment 2008
"Child abuse and neglect is one of the Nation’s most serious concerns. The Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families in the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, addresses this important issue in many ways. One example is to collect data on the children who are served by child protective services (CPS) agencies.

This Child Maltreatment 2008 report, now in its 19th edition, presents national data about child abuse and neglect known to CPS agencies in the United States during Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2008. The data were collected and analyzed through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) supported by the Children’s Bureau. This chapter discusses the background of NCANDS and describes the annual data collection process..."
View full report.

The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention
"...This Report attempts to marshal a massive amount of information about the nature of the child exploitation problem and the significant efforts being undertaken by federal, state, and local agencies to address this epidemic. To evaluate the extent and forms of child exploitation, between approximately February 2009 and February 2010, the National Drug Intelligence Center (“NDIC”) prepared a threat assessment (the “Threat Assessment” or “Assessment”) that is summarized in this Report. In conducting the Threat Assessment, NDIC interviewed over a hundred prosecutors, investigators, and other experts in the field, conducted interviews to collect information, reviewed thousands of pages of documents from investigations, cases, relevant research, and analyzed data from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. In addition to conducting the Threat Assessment, the Department and the Library of Congress have gathered and reviewed an extensive amount of studies and research relevant to the field of child exploitation to help inform the Department and its partners of the most recent information available from academia on this subject..."

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."

Child Maltreatment 2008
"All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories have mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting laws that require certain professionals and institutions to report suspected maltreatment to a child protective services (CPS) agency. Examples of these mandatory reporters include health care providers and facilities, mental health care providers, teachers and other school staff, social workers, police officers, foster care providers, and daycare providers. The initial report of suspected child abuse or neglect is called a referral. Approximately one-third of referrals are screened out each year and do not receive further attention from CPS.

The remaining referrals are “screened in” and an investigation or assessment is conducted by the CPS agency to determine the likelihood that maltreatment has occurred or that the child is at risk of maltreatment. After conducting interviews with family members, the alleged victim, and other people familiar with the family, the CPS agency makes a determination or finding concerning whether the child is a victim of abuse or neglect or is at risk of abuse or neglect. This determination often is called a disposition. States establish definitions of specific dispositions..."

Toolkit Offers Guidance for Developing and Implementing Court Performance Measures in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases
"The Toolkit for Court Performance Measures in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases provides detailed guidance about court performance measures for child abuse and neglect cases and offers a general approach that can help dependency courts successfully implement a performance measurement process."

Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect
"Resources on child abuse prevention, protecting children from risk of abuse, and promoting healthy families. Includes information on supporting families, protective factors, public awareness, community activities, positive parenting, prevention programs, and more."