Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Services

Abstract

In summary, children and families can be involved in several levels of services related to child maltreatment, from primary prevention programs that focus on all children and adults, to early interventions that target populations at risk for maltreatment, and finally, investigative services and interventions for children and their families after abuse or neglect has occurred. The current research and program evaluations studying the effects of primary prevention and early intervention programs reveal few positive, long-term outcomes in actually reducing abuse and neglect. Considerable research is needed to determine which aspects of which programs are effective with which parents. There is a major lack of research on mental health service utilization by maltreating families and their children. The limited research available indicates that only about 50% of these children receive mental health services. Despite the overwhelming data on the negative psychological effects of maltreatment, the current system is not effectively meeting the needs of these children. Moreover, the literature currently offers a limited understanding of what treatments are most effective with children who have experienced abuse. After abuse has occurred, there are studies that document the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions with sexually abused children. However, these studies have been conducted in academic settings and have not been disseminated widely in the field. More work is necessary to develop and validate treatments for children who have experienced physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, and neglect. Efforts to then disseminate these evidence-based treatments into practice will be a critical step in the field.