Prevention of child abuse and neglect requires a holistic approach to supporting the entire family’s well-being and requires commitment from families, communities, organizations, systems, and the public. Prevention requires us to overcome the misconception that families living in poverty will in turn be perpetrators of child abuse and neglect and focus more on providing support to all families by offering services that focus on building protective factors and parental capacity within families while interrupting the cycle of poverty. The following resources discuss child abuse and neglect prevention and what to do when children are at risk.
- What is prevention and why is it important?
- Envisioning/Re-envisioning prevention of child abuse & neglect
- Framework for prevention of child maltreatment
- When children are at risk
- Federal agencies associated with preventing child abuse and neglect
About CAPTA: A Legislative History
Child Abuse and Neglect: What Parents Should Know
HealthyChildren.org (2022)
Shares an overview of the risk factors, symptoms, and signs of child abuse and neglect as well as outcomes associated with children and youth who experience child abuse and neglect and how to seek help.
Child Maltreatment Prevention: Past, Present, and Future
How Can Child Welfare Leaders and Providers Reimagine Support for Children and Families?
Casey Family Programs (2021)
Discusses how data, public perception, and policy changes can be used to pivot the child welfare system to increasingly provide child maltreatment prevention and family support services.
Major Federal Legislation Concerned With Child Protection, Child Welfare, and Adoption
Overview of Child Neglect and Abuse
Pekarsky (2021)
Merck & Co., Inc.
Provides an overview of child abuse and neglect, including what constitutes abuse and neglect, diagnosing abuse and neglect, symptoms associated with abuse and neglect, and ways to provide treatment.
Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect (PDF - 357 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention (2022)
Outlines the types of child abuse and neglect and discusses the impact child abuse and neglect has on families and communities. It also highlights how to prevent additional occurrences.
Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities (PDF - 3,997 KB)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016)
Offers a compilation of evidence-based strategies to help prevent child abuse and neglect, including strengthening economic supports for families, changing social norms to support parents, participating in quality early child care and education, and enhancing parenting skills. The resource also includes interventions to reduce future risk.
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
Prevention Planning Into Action
Capacity Building Center for States
Provides resources and tools to support and engage agencies and their staff in prevention planning.
What Is Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention
Discusses the meaning of community-based child abuse prevention. It also presents what types of prevention activities are funded throughout the United States as part of the Federal Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention funding.