Child Exposure to Trauma: Comparative Effectiveness of Interventions Addressing Maltreatment Executive Summary

Child maltreatment is a global public health problem.1, 2 In the United States alone, approximately 6.2 million children were involved in 3.4 million referrals to Child Protective Services (CPS) in FY 2011.3 The prevalence of child maltreatment translates into a significant economic burden to society, cutting across many different service sectors including child welfare, health and mental care, special education, and criminal justice. A recent U.S. study estimates that the aggregate lifetime costs of nonfatal and fatal child maltreatment (in 2010 dollars) are $124 billion.4 Exposure to abuse and/or neglect in childhood has serious adverse consequences across the life span, including increased risk of emotional and behavioral disturbances, delinquency and violent crime, and chronic disease.1, 2, 5-12