| Child abuse is the physical or psychological | | | | attachment. Such children are at risk of developing a |
| maltreatment of a child, often synonymous with the | | | | disorganized attachment. Disorganized attachment is |
| term child maltreatment or the term child abuse and | | | | associated with a number of developmental |
| neglect. Some definitions also include the abuse of | | | | problems, including dissociative symptoms, as well as |
| children by other children or by themselves. However, | | | | anxiety,depressive, and acting-out symptoms. |
| in the United States, abuse of a child by another child | | | | Parental choices and other unforeseen circumstances |
| is not reportable as child abuse, except to the extent | | | | that place families under extraordinary stress ?for |
| that it can be reported as improper supervision by | | | | instance, poverty, divorce, sickness, disability, lack of |
| the abused child's parents. While most child abuse | | | | parental skills is often associated to child |
| happens in the child's home, large numbers of cases | | | | maltreatment. Many of these factors may contribute |
| of child abuse have been identified within some | | | | to family stress that can result in child abuse or |
| organizations involving children, such as churches, | | | | neglect. Understanding the root causes of abuse can |
| schools, child care businesses, and in particular native | | | | help better determine the best methods of |
| residential schools, or in government agencies. | | | | prevention and treatment. |
| According to a recent UNICEF report on child | | | | Prevention |
| well-being the United States and the United Kingdom | | | | Given these possible causes, most professionals |
| ranked lowest among rich nations with respect to the | | | | agree that there are three levels of prevention |
| well being of their children. This study also found that | | | | services; primary prevention, secondary prevention, |
| child neglect and child abuse are far more common in | | | | and tertiary prevention. |
| single-parent families than in families where both | | | | Primary prevention |
| parents are present. | | | | Primary prevention consists of activities that are |
| There are many forms of abuse and neglect and | | | | targeted at the community level. These activities are |
| many governments have developed their own legal | | | | meant to impact families prior to any allegations of |
| definition of what constitutes child maltreatment for | | | | abuse and neglect. Primary prevention services include |
| the purposes of removing a child and/or prosecuting | | | | public education activities, parent education classes |
| a criminal charge. In the United States, the Federal | | | | that are open to anyone in the community, and |
| Government puts out a full definition of child abuse | | | | family support programs. Primary prevention can be |
| and neglect and creates a summary of each State | | | | difficult to measure because you are attempting to |
| definition. To view, go to Definitions of Child Abuse | | | | impact something before it happens, an unknown |
| and Neglect: Summary of State Laws that is part of | | | | variable. |
| the 2005 State Statute series by the Child Welfare | | | | Secondary prevention |
| Information Gateway. | | | | Secondary prevention consists of activities targeted |
| The U.S. National Adoption Center found that 52% of | | | | to families that have one or more risk factors |
| adoptable children (meaning those children in U.S. | | | | including families with substance abuse, teen parents, |
| foster care) freed for adoption had symptoms of | | | | parents of special need children, single parents, and |
| attachment disorder. A study by Dante Cicchetti | | | | low income families. Secondary prevention services |
| found that 80% of abused and maltreated infants | | | | include parent education classes targeted for high risk |
| exhibited attachment disorder symptoms | | | | parents, despite care for parents of a child with a |
| (disorganized subtype). | | | | disability, or home visiting programs for new parents |
| Children with histories of maltreatment, such as | | | | Tertiary prevention |
| physical and psychological neglect and physical abuse | | | | Tertiary prevention consists of activities targeted to |
| are at risk of developing severe psychiatric problems. | | | | families that have confirmed or unconfirmed child |
| These children are likely to develop reactive | | | | abuse and neglect reports. These families have |
| attachment disorder. These children may be | | | | already demonstrated the need for intervention,with |
| described as experiencing trauma-attachment | | | | or without court supervision. Prevention supporters |
| problems. The trauma experienced is the result of | | | | consider 'tertiary prevention' synonymous with |
| abuse or neglect, inflicted by a primary caregiver, | | | | treatment, and entirely different from prevention |
| which disrupts the normal development of secure | | | | through family support. |