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 Children may manifest abuse via destructive or withdrawn behaviours, developmental delays, injuries or other health problems.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.

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Violence Against Children in All Care Settings: Africa Expert Consultation (Annex)

African Child Policy Forum & Better Care Network, 09 Oct 2017

This Annex compiles the presentations delivered at the 21-22 June 2017 Africa Expert Consultation on Violence Against Children in All Care Settings and is intended to accompany the Final Report of the meeting.

Preventing and Responding to Violence against Children in All Care Settings in Africa: A Call to Action

Inter-Agency Group, 09 Oct 2017

Resulting from the June 2017 Africa Expert Consultation on Violence against Children in All Care Settings and adopted by all participants, this Declaration calls upon leaders at national, sub-regional, pan-African and global levels for further action to fulfill their obligation to protect children against violence in all care settings, with emphasis on alternative care.

3 Principles to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 01 Oct 2017

This report from the the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University in the United States argues that, to be maximally effective, policies and services should: (1) Support responsive relationships for children and adults, (2) Strengthen core life skills, and (3) Reduce sources of stress in the lives of children and families.

Pretesting a Human Trafficking Screening Tool in the Child Welfare and Runaway and Homeless Youth Systems

Urban Institute under contract to the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, 01 Oct 2017

Aiming to assist providers to identify and better serve the needs of youth victims of human trafficking, this study developed and pretested a Human Trafficking Screening Tool used to identify youth in the child welfare system and runaway and homeless youth who have experiences of trafficking,

Child Neglect in Arizona: Prevalence of neglect types reported to Arizona’s Department of Child Safety for calendar years 2013-2015

Erica Quintana - Morrison Institute Child Welfare Leadership Advisory Board, 01 Oct 2017

The objective of this project was to review a sample of reports made to Arizona's Department of Child Safety (DCS) with neglect allegations and identify the types of neglect present in the hotline narrative and investigation narrative.

A multisectoral approach to childhood development

The Lancet, 30 Sep 2017

This editorial by The Lancet draws connections between early childhood development, education and childhood violence, illustrating the need for early and cross-sectoral investments in children.

A Longitudinal Study of Child Maltreatment and Mental Health Predictors of Admission to Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities

Roderick A. Rose and Paul Lanier - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 28 Sep 2017

This exploratory study used cross-sector administrative records linked across multiple systems, including child welfare records and Medicaid claims, from a single state in the U.S. over a five-year period, to investigate the factors that predict entry into psychiatric residential treatment facilities for children.

Global Report 2017: Ending Violence in Childhood

Know Violence in Childhood , 26 Sep 2017

The report compiles information from a series of global research papers commissioned by Know Violence, presenting the scale and scope of childhood violence globally. Examples of preventative efforts from governments, communities, and organizations are provided to illustrate the feasibility of preventing violence on local and national levels.

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Opportunities: Parenting, Programs, and the Reduction of Risk

Julia Rudolph, Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck, Dianne C. Shanley, and Russell Hawkins - Child Maltreatment, 18 Sep 2017

The purpose of this article is to explore how child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention opportunities can include parents in new and innovative ways.

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The impacts of institutional child sexual abuse: A rapid review of the evidence

Tamara Blakemore, James Leslie Herbert, Fiona Arney, and Samantha Parkinson - Child Abuse & Neglect, 31 Aug 2017

This report reviews the existing literature on the impact of child sexual abuse within various types of institutional care settings around the world.

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