Child Abuse & Neglect

Study on Child Self-Report Measures for Screening and Assessing Family Violence

A recent study, “Child-Reported Family Violence: A Systemic Review of Available Instruments,” explores the role of children in reporting family violence. Specifically, the reviewers identify and appraise available child self-report measures for screening and assessment of family violence in both clinical and … Read More

Study Examines How START Program Mitigates Co-Occurring Substance Use and Child Maltreatment

Families involved with child welfare can often benefit from support from overlapping systems and services. With the well-researched correlation between child maltreatment and substance use, substance use treatment may positively affect parents’ abilities to care for their children. A recent … Read More

Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation: Current and Emerging Threats

Introduction The proliferation of online child sexual abuse and exploitation presents a serious threat to children globally. In 2023, the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 36.2 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation, which … Read More

How Should Clinicians and Health Care Organizations Promote Equity in Child Abuse and Neglect Suspicion, Evaluation, and Reporting?

Victims of child abuse and neglect come from every racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic background, yet clinical evaluation, reporting to child protective services, and responses to reports inequitably harm Black children and malign families of color. Racial bias and inequity in … Read More

McGirt v Oklahoma and What Clinicians Should Know About Present-Day Child Abuse and Legacies of Forced Migration

In 1997, Jimcy McGirt was convicted by the State of Oklahoma for sex crimes against a minor. McGirt appealed his conviction, citing that Oklahoma lacked jurisdiction over the case due to his tribal citizenship, since the crime took place on … Read More

Key Updates to Understanding Roles of Childhood Trauma in Overall Health

While adverse childhood experiences and trauma, including childhood abuse and neglect, have often been viewed from the lens of psychiatry, their influence on physical health, health behaviors, and factors that moderate health now garner more attention. This article reviews recent … Read More

How Should Clinicians and Students Cope With Secondary Trauma When Caring for Children Traumatized by Abuse or Neglect?

When health care professionals encounter child abuse and neglect, they can experience a range of emotions, such as anger, sadness, and frustration. Such feelings can cloud judgment, compromise care, or even undermine one’s capacity to complete evaluation of a child. … Read More

How Should Race and Resource Context Influence How Neglect Is Considered by Clinicians?

Separation of children from their parents is one possible traumatizing consequence of a mandated report, which is not to be taken lightly. This commentary on a case considers how racism and poverty should influence clinicians’ construal of their duties as … Read More

The Indivisibility of Parental and Child Mental Health and Why Poverty Matters

Child mental health difficulties are common, with approximately one in five young people across all ages globally experiencing them. This is a major cause for concern, as child and adolescent mental health problems have deleterious effects, not only on social … Read More

Representing Families of Children with Diabetes Facing Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations

I. Introduction Parents and guardians of children with diabetes strive to keep life as normal as possible for their children. They have to work closely with their children’s school and doctor in order to ensure that they are properly cared … Read More