The following resources address conditions and experiences within a home, such as family structure, parental attitudes, and childrearing approaches, that can place children at risk for maltreatment.
Child Maltreatment in Military Families: A Fact Sheet for Providers (PDF - 770 KB)
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2015)
Provides information for providers on child maltreatment in military families, including discussions on stressors, awareness of the problem, how deployment affects the family, and what can be done to combat this issue.
Child Sexual Abuse Statistics: Risk Factors (PDF - 273 KB)
Darkness to Light (2015)
Reviews risk factors, including family characteristics, which may place a child at higher risk for sexual abuse. Family structure is an important risk factor, and children who live with two married biological parents are at a lower risk. Children living without either parent are more likely to be abused.
Understanding What Makes Kids Vulnerable to Being Sexually Abused
Stop It Now!
Explores risk factors that may make some children especially vulnerable to sex abuse, including factors in the household. These include settings where secrecy is encouraged, stress in the family, exposure to pornography, witnessing prostitution, alcohol abuse, and more.
What is the Link Between Corporal Punishment and Child Physical Abuse?
Fréchette, Zoratti, & Romano (2015)
Journal of Family Violence, 30(2)
Examines the link between spanking and child physical abuse. The study looks at various parenting and family factors that could distinguish between spanking that is not abuse and spanking that is considered physically abusive.