A recent World Health Organization report addresses child maltreatment. "Child maltreatment" www.who.int (Nov. 05, 2024).
Findings include the following:
Child maltreatment is usually defined to include any type of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or neglect that causes actual or potential harm to the health, survival, development, or dignity of a person under the age of 18.
Child maltreatment is a global issue. However, many countries do not have data related to child maltreatment, and data can vary greatly depending on the research method used.
International statistics show that nearly 75 percent of children between the ages of two and four are regularly subjected to physical punishment and/or psychological violence by their parents or caregivers. And, approximately
one-in-five women and one-in-13 men say they were sexually abused as children. Only a small percentage of the victims of child maltreatment will receive help from a health care professional.
Child maltreatment can have long-term negative consequences on the victim's mental and physical health, as well as their social and occupational outcomes. Individuals who were abused as children are also more likely to commit abuse as adults.
Child maltreatment risk factors for the child include having special needs or abnormal physical features; having an intellectual disability or neurological disorder; and identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
Parent or caregiver risk factors include having been maltreated themselves as a child; not knowing about child development; having difficulty bonding with or failing to nurture the child; abusing alcohol or drugs; having low self-esteem; having poor impulse control; having a mental or neurological disorder; being involved in criminal activity; and having financial difficulties.
Ways to help prevent child maltreatment include providing support to parents and caregivers through informational and skill-building sessions; providing quality education to children; working to transform harmful norms related to child-rearing; implementing and enforcing laws prohibiting child maltreatment; and quickly addressing child maltreatment to reduce reoccurrence. "Child maltreatment" www.who.int (Nov. 05, 2024).
Commentary
The global nature of the problem is troublesome, and the issue in the U.S. is no exception. According to the National Children's Alliance, in 2022, an estimated 558,899 unique cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in the U.S.
An estimated 1,990 children in the U.S. died as the result of abuse and neglect in 2022. This number has risen consistently over the past five years. Boys and African-American children have a higher risk of dying from child abuse and neglect.
Overall, girls are slightly more vulnerable to child abuse than boys. BIPOC and socially and medically marginalized children are especially vulnerable to child abuse. In addition, children are most vulnerable to child abuse during the first year of their life. Infants under the age of one comprise 15 percent of all victims, and children under the age of three comprise 27 percent of victims.
However, children from every background, including every socioeconomic group, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, and community, can experience child abuse. "About Child Abuse: National Statistics on Child Abuse" www.nationalchildrensalliance.org.
Safe adults must be aware that certain children may be more vulnerable, but any child could be the victim of child abuse. Immediately report any suspected child abuse per your state's mandated reporter laws.
