CHILD ABUSE

Children may be abused physically, emotionally, sexually or through neglect.

Shaken-baby syndrome (SBS) is a form of child abuse. SBS is a collection of signs and symptoms resulting from violently shaking an infant or child.

Consequences of child abuse

* Children who experience maltreatment are at increased risk for adverse health effects and behaviors as adults—including smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorders, severe obesity, depression, suicide, sexual promiscuity, and certain chronic diseases

* Maltreatment during infancy or early childhood can cause important regions of the brain to form improperly, leading to physical, mental, and emotional problems such as sleep disturbances, panic disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

* About 25% to 30% of infant victims with SBS die from their injuries. Nonfatal consequences of SBS include varying degrees of visual impairment (e.g., blindness), motor impairment (e.g. cerebral palsy) and cognitive impairments (National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome 2005).

* Victims of child maltreatment who were physically assaulted by caregivers are twice as likely to be physically assaulted as adults.

Groups at Risk

* Children younger than 4 years are at greatest risk of severe injury or death. In 2003, children younger than 4 years accounted for 79% of child maltreatment fatalities, with infants under 1 year accounting for 44% of deaths.

Risk and Protective Factors

A combination of individual, relational, community, and societal factors contribute to the risk of child maltreatment. Although children are not responsible for the harm inflicted upon them, certain individual characteristics have been found to increase their risk of being maltreated. Risk factors are contributing factors—not direct causes.

Examples of risk factors:

* Disabilities or mental retardation in children that may increase caregiver burden
* Social isolation of families
* Parents’ lack of understanding of children’s needs and child development
* Parents’ history of domestic abuse
* Poverty and other socioeconomic disadvantage, such as unemployment
* Family disorganization, dissolution, and violence, including intimate partner violence
* Lack of family cohesion
* Substance abuse in family
* Young, single nonbiological parents
* Poor parent-child relationships and negative interactions
* Parental thoughts and emotions supporting maltreatment behaviors
* Parental stress and distress, including depression or other mental health conditions
* Community violence

Protective factors are the opposite of risk factors and may lessen the risk of child maltreatment. Protective factors exist at individual, relational, community, and societal levels.

Examples of protective factors:

* Supportive family environment
* Nurturing parenting skills
* Stable family relationships
* Household rules and monitoring of the child
* Parental employment
* Adequate housing
* Access to health care and social services
* Caring adults outside family who can serve as role models or mentors
* Communities that support parents and take responsibility for preventing abuse.