Responding to Types of Child Abuse or Neglect

There are varying types of child abuse and neglect, each with its own unique characteristics. The following resources offer information to address five different types of child abuse and neglect.

Child neglect

Child Neglect: Impact and Interventions (PDF - 199 KB)
NC Division of Social Services and the Family and Children's Resource Program (2013)
Children’s Services Practice Notes for North Carolina’s Child Welfare Workers, 18(1)
Details interventions that mitigate the effects of child neglect and strengthen family dynamics.

The Science of Neglect: The Persistent Absence of Responsive Care Disrupts the Developing Brain: Working Paper 12
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2012)
Explains why severe deprivation or significant neglect is so harmful in the earliest years of life and why effective interventions are likely to pay significant dividends in better long-term outcomes in learning, health, and parenting of the next generation.

Interventions for Neglect
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
Links to interventions for neglect that have been rated on a scientific scale of evidence-based practice.

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Physical abuse

Child Physical Abuse (PDF - 71 KB)
American Humane
Includes information on what to look for if you suspect physical abuse and what you can do.

Physical Abuse
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Includes resources on the nature, prevalence, and impact of physical abuse and offers information on its prevention and treatment.

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Sexual abuse

Caring for Kids: What Parents Need to Know About Sexual Abuse (PDF - 11,469 KB)
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Offers parents and caregivers tools to help them support children who have been victims of sexual abuse, information on the importance of talking to children and youth about body safety, and guidance on how to respond when children disclose sexual abuse. The information is available in both English and Spanish.

Responding to Child Sexual Abuse
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2014)
Provides practical guidance on what to say and what steps to take when child sexual abuse is suspected.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children Affected by Sexual Abuse or Trauma
Series Title Issue Briefs
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability View
Download (PDF - 465KB)
Year Published 2012
Explores research and practice on trauma focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), which is an evidence-based treatment approach shown to help children, adolescents, and their caregivers overcome trauma-related difficulties. It is designed to reduce negative emotional and behavioral responses following child sexual abuse, domestic violence, traumatic loss, and other traumatic events. The treatment—based on learning and cognitive theories—addresses distorted beliefs and attributions related to the abuse and provides a supportive environment in which children are encouraged to talk about their traumatic experience. TF-CBT also helps parents who were not abusive to cope effectively with their own emotional distress and develop skills that support their children.

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Emotional abuse

Child Abuse and Neglect: How to Spot the Signs and Make a Difference (PDF - 210 KB)
Helpguide.org
Provides behavioral and physical indicators for specific forms of abuse, including seven different indicators of child emotional abuse.

Psychological Maltreatment (PDF - 713 KB)
Hibbard, Barlow, & MacMillan (2012)
American Academy of Pediatrics
Discusses the incidence of childhood emotional abuse and provides information about associated interventions.

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Peer and sibling abuse

Sibling Abuse
University of Michigan Health System (2012)
Defines "sibling abuse" and discusses the prevalence of sibling abuse, associated risk factors, how to prevent the abuse, long-term effects, and more.

Tip Sheet: Signs That a Child or Teen May Be At-Risk to Harm Another Child
Stop It Now!
Offers a printable handout with bullet points for helping to identify possible signs that a child or teen is at risk of harming another child.

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