Child Abuse
Medical Author: John Mersch, MD, FAAP
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
It was not until the 19th century that children were granted the
same legal status as domesticated animals with regard to protection
against cruelty and/or neglect. In 1962, the term "battered child
syndrome" became part of the medical vocabulary and by 1976 all of
the states in the United States had adopted laws mandating the
reporting of suspected child abuse.
What is the scope of the child abuse problem?
Child abuse is a worldwide problem affecting children from birth to 18 years of age. The most recent U.S. data dates from 2005, during which 3.3 million reports of abuse and neglect were filed. About 60% of these reports warranted investigation with one-half of these allegations substantiated. These data indicate the incidence of child abuse and neglect to be 12.1 per 1,000 children; 1,460 children (four children/day) died in 2005 as a result of inflicted trauma with more than 77% of these deaths in children less than 4 years of age.
While
"reports" of alleged child abuse are not always substantiated during
the investigation process, most authorities believe that a large
underreporting bias is inherent in the data. There is much more
child
abuse than gets reported.
What age child is abused?
All ages of children suffer from child abuse and neglect. Research has shown, however, that risk factors exist making it more likely that certain children may be abused. These risk factors include
- age: 67% of abused children are less than 1 year old; 80% are less than 3 years old;
- past history of abuse: Repeated abuse has been shown to occur more than 50% of the time; repeatedly abused children have a 10% chance of sustaining a lethal event;
- children with learning disabilities, speech/language disorders and mental retardation;
- children with congenital anomalies (malformations) and chronic/recurrent conditions; and
- adopted and foster children.
Complicating the collection of data is the general underreporting of child abuse. Very young
children are incapable of verbally communicating the harm inflicted
on them. Other factors such as fear, guilt, or confusion about the
abuser's erratic behavior may also hinder younger children from
informing on their abuser.
Next: Are girls more often abused than boys? »
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