The safety and protection of children is a major emphasis in our vision for healthy people. In order to develop to their full potential, all children need a foundation of feeling that they are loved, safe, and cared for. Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment.
Many children suffer more than one type of maltreatment.
Child abuse and neglect affects children of all ages. Among children confirmed as victims by Child Protective Service agencies nationwide in 1997, more than half were 7 years old or younger, and one-quarter were younger than 4 years old. While children of families in all income levels suffer maltreatment, research suggests that family income is strongly related to incidence rates. A 1999 study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that children of substance-abusing parents were almost 3 times likelier to be abused and more than 4 times likelier to be neglected than children of parents who are not substance abusers. About half of these have resulted in investigations by Child Protective Services.