The longer child abuse continues, the more serious it becomes, the more serious is the injury to the child and the more difficult it is to stop. There are no monsters. Abusive parents can be your friends, your neighbors or your relatives. They are ordinary people, caught in life situations beyond their control. It is a myth that child abuse occurs only among poor families.
Child maltreatment affects all economic, racial, social, ethnic and religious groups.
There is no easy answer to this question, because many factors are involved. Pressures from money problems, everyday frustrations, illness or heavy responsibilities. Adults who were mistreated as children may, without meaning to, continue the pattern of abuse with their own children. Without friends or relatives nearby, parents can feel overwhelmed by the demands of raising a child. If parents don't know what to expect from children, they may expect too much.