6 Intentional abuse and neglect can take place in early childhood settings, as can abuse and neglect that results from inadequate training and supervision. When caregivers or providers don't have sufficient knowledge of child development, they may have unrealistic expectations of children. In addition, they may lack the skills needed to guide children's behavior in appropriate ways. Lack of skills and knowledge can lead caregivers to respond to children's normal, age-appropriate behavior in angry, punitive ways. These caregivers may not mean to hurt a child, but they don't know what else to do to stop the unwanted behavior.
Some children are at higher risk for abuse than others.
For example, there may be a higher likelihood of maltreatment for children who were born prematurely or with a handicap or were conceived in a time of parental stress or depression. In addition, the behavior of some children appears to stimulate abuse at the hands of parents and other adults. Gold suggested that children who have health problems as infants, severe allergies, severe mood swings, or hyperactivity with learning disabilities and other psychological problems may tax the resources of their parents and caregivers, perhaps resulting in abuse. Child abuse and neglect can result in permanent and serious damage to children's physical, emotional, and cognitive development. At its most serious, of course, child abuse and neglect can result in death.