With respect to human services, prevention typically consists of methods or activities that seek to reduce or deter specific or predictable problems, protect the current state of well-being, or promote desired outcomes or behaviors.
What is child abuse prevention?
The term "prevention" is typically used to represent activities that stop an action or behavior. It can also be used to represent activities that promote a positive action or behavior. Research has found that successful child abuse interventions must both reduce risk factors and promote protective factors to ensure the well-being of children and families.
Protective factors are conditions in families and communities that, when present, increase the health and well-being of children and families. They are attributes that serve as buffers, helping parents who might otherwise be at risk of abusing their children to find resources, supports, or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress.
Child Abuse Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Presents an overview of child abuse and neglect prevention and reviews child maltreatment statistics, how child abuse and neglect are preventable, and links to several resources on preventing child abuse and neglect as well as parenting essentials.
Child Maltreatment Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Provides information and resources addressing definitions, data sources, risk and protective factors, consequences, prevention strategies, and more.
| Series Title | Issue Briefs |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 2,150KB) Order (Free) |
| Year Published | 2017 |
Parenting and Family Support within a Broad Child Abuse Prevention Strategy: Child Maltreatment Prevention can Benefit From Public Health Strategies
Prinz (2016)
Child Abuse & Neglect, 51
Examines child abuse and neglect prevention from a community perspective, with special attention paid to parenting-focused intervention. Adopting a public health approach in prevention strategies can strengthen community systems that decreases child maltreatment.
Prevention of Child Maltreatment
World Health Organization (2016)
Provides a global perspective in supporting interventions that prevent and prohibit child abuse and violence.
Understanding and Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
American Psychological Association (2018)
Defines child abuse and neglect and examines the factors that place a child at risk of child maltreatment, consequences of child maltreatment, factors that can help prevent child abuse and neglect, and types of prevention.
What is Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention?
FRIENDS National Center for Community Based Child Abuse Prevention
Discusses community-based child abuse prevention and programs and defines child abuse and neglect. The website also explores what kinds of prevention activities are funded across the country.
Why is child abuse prevention important?
The impact of child maltreatment can be profound. Research shows that child maltreatment is associated with adverse health and mental health outcomes in children and families, and those negative effects can last a lifetime. In addition to the impact on the child, child abuse and neglect affect various systems, including physical and mental heath, law enforcement, judicial and public social services, and nonprofit agencies as they respond to the incident and support the victims. One analysis of the immediate and long-term economic impact of child abuse and neglect suggests that child maltreatment costs the nation as much as $258 million each day, or approximately $94 billion each year.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016)
Investigates the ways in which adverse childhood experiences affect experiences throughout the life course. Website provides the ACE study, as well as additional resources and related journal articles.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Response
University of Albany & Prevent Child Abuse America
Seeks to connect research data and its potential for real-world application to prevent adverse childhood experiences and their consequences through policy and program leadership, community development, and direct practice.
Child Abuse and Neglect: Why Prevention is Important
Psychology Today (2017)
Examines child abuse and neglect and why prevention of child maltreatment is important because it can be avoided and because abuse and neglect can lead to negative consequences such as depression, developmental delays, and risk of developing substance abuse during adulthood.
Child Maltreatment 2016
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2018)
Presents national data about child abuse and neglect known to child protective services agencies during Federal fiscal year 2016.
Making the Case: Why Prevention Matters
Prevent Child Abuse America
Presents several papers that review changes in the field of child abuse prevention that have led to improved child health and well-being and discuss ways to sustain support for prevention.
Total Estimated Cost of Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States (PDF - 415 KB)
Prevent Child Abuse America (2012)
Outlines direct and indirect costs of responding to the impact of child abuse and neglect both by the victims and their families and by society.