Child maltreatment includes physical abuse, child neglect and sexual abuse. Physical abuse is defined as bodily injury to a child resulting in skin bruising, bleeding, malnutrition, burns, fracture of any bone, bleeding within the skull, soft tissue swelling, failure to thrive, or death, when the injury is not justifiably explained. A neglected child is one who is without proper parental care and control or who lacks subsistence, education, medical or other care necessary for the child's well-being due to the conduct or omission of the parents, guardian or other custodian. Sexual abuse includes rape, molestation, incest, prostitution or pornographic activities or other similar forms of sexual exploitation harming or threatening a child. Child abuse and neglect are complex and multidimensional problems.
Experts agree that they occur as a result of multiple forces that interact and reinforce each other.
Providing treatment to abusive and neglectful families alone cannot break the cycle of child abuse and neglect. Communities must develop strategies to prevent abusive and neglectful patterns from occurring. Prevention programs have the potential to provide a more complete and effective support system for at risk families. Services are designed to foster positive family functioning and are available to the community at large. Secondary prevention takes measures to keep child abuse and neglect from occurring after certain warning signs have appeared.