Child Maltreatment
About Child Maltreatment
Types of child maltreatment
How common is it?
What causes it?
How long does it last?
What treatments are effective?
A review of the evidence

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What causes it?

Parental characteristics have the greatest impact on a child’s risk of being maltreated, followed by the social situation of the family.

The most common social factor associated with child maltreatment is low socioeconomic status.  Other social factors are large family size and recent stress.

Young mothers with a low educational level and who also have a psychiatric disorder (particularly depression and/or antisocial behavior) are at high risk of abusing their children, particularly when it is a single mother who has experienced intimate partner violence. 

Parents who themselves were maltreated in childhood, or who are socially isolated, are also at higher risk of abusing their children, as are parents who have a history of, or currently engage in, substance abuse. [1]

Most studies of maltreatment have focused on infants and young children, but adolescents are frequently subjected to sexual, physical or emotional abuse or neglect.  Teens who experience any of these kinds of abuse may run a greater risk of being arrested, of committing a violent act, or engaging in illegal substance use. [2]

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1.	Canada. National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. Child Maltreatment in Canada: Overview Paper. Prepared by Susan Jack, et al. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada, 2006.
2.	Smith CA, Ireland TO, Thornberry TP. Adolescent maltreatment and its impact on young adult antisocial behavior. Child Abuse & Neglect. 2005; 29: 1099-1119.