According to the report "Child Maltreatment 2014" produced by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACFY) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the fundamental definition of child maltreatment is "any act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act, which present an imminent risk of serious harm" (8). As of today, in conformity with the rules and regulations of the majority of states, there are four basic types of child maltreatment, including neglect, mental abuse, physical assault, and sexual abuse of children. However, there are other subtypes of maltreatment related to children with special needs, such as abuse, assault, and neglect of children with disabilities as well as in out-of-home care. Statistical data related to child maltreatment is, as a general rule, collected and analyzed by different child protective services organizations and agencies throughout the country.
According to the statistical data provided in the report, the youngest children, particularly those younger than 3 years, are considered to be the most vulnerable group to maltreatment. In actual fact, the majority of children subjected to neglect, abuse and other types of negligent treatment were younger than 12 months. Speaking from the perspective of gender, boys are more likely to suffer from maltreatment, especially in younger years, than girls are. However, the victimization level for older girls is considerable than that for boys.
According to the report, a history of abuse and neglect in childhood is determined as the most powerful negative life-experience determinant of challenging, problem or abnormal behavioral patterns in adolescence and adulthood. Statistical data from numerous studies and researches on child maltreatment clearly demonstrates that "it not only results in acute physical injuries but also predicts later substance use problems, high-risk sexual behaviors, aggression and violent crime, mental health problems, and adult relationship problems, including intimate partner violence" (Berlin, Appleyard, and Dodge 162). The fundamental risks associated with child maltreatment include physical, mental, and social costs of the above-mentioned acts. Children who became victims of maltreatment in yearly childhood are likely to experience negligent treatment or abuse later in life. Some of the children are likely to pick up their parents' behavior and carry it into their own adult lives. Consequently, they have higher chances of committing similar crimes and types of delinquent behavior, including domestic violence and spousal abuse. These risk-taking and antisocial behaviors also include "violent victimization and the perpetration of violence, depression, smoking, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, unintended pregnancy, and alcohol and drug use. Such risk factors and behaviors can lead to some of the principal causes of death, disease and disability – such as heart disease, sexually transmitted diseases, cancer and suicide" (Butchart 11).
In conformity with the statistical data provided in the report, a typical perpetrator of child maltreatment is an individual aged between 18 and 44 years, with the highest rates in the age group of 25-34. The majority of perpetrators, particularly 4 in 5 individuals, were a biological parent of the victim. Quite surprisingly, more than 50% of all perpetrators were women. In actual fact, "female parents (typically biological mothers), acting alone or with another, perpetrated 64% of child abuse and neglect cases" (Berlin, Appleyard, and Dodge 162). According to the report, the three largest groups of perpetrators of child maltreatment include individuals of White, African-American and Hispanic ethnic, cultural, and racial descent. Therefore, based on the statistical tables from the report, a typical perpetrator of child maltreatment can be described as a white woman, aged 25-34, who is in the meantime a biological parent of the victim.
Work Cited
Berlin, Lisa J., Karen Appleyard, and Kenneth A. Dodge. "Intergenerational Continuity in Child Maltreatment: Mediating Mechanisms and Implications for Prevention." Child Development 82.1 (2011): 162-76. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3059248/>.
Butchart, Alexander. Preventing Child Maltreatment: A Guide to Taking Action and Generating Evidence. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2006. Print.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau. Child Maltreatment 2014. Rep. 2016. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. <http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/child-maltreatment>.
