BACKGROUND Recurrence of child maltreatment is a major problem, yet little is known about approaches to reduce this risk in families referred to child protection agencies. Since home visitation by nurses for disadvantaged first-time mothers has proven effective in prevention of child abuse and neglect, we aimed to investigate whether this approach might reduce recidivism. METHODS We enrolled ...

Children have been abused by their parents and other adults from time immemorial. When children were considered chattel, the problem of child abuse was largely dormant. As the concept of child-as-person evolved during the nineteeneth and twentieth centuries, the groundwork was laid for increased public interest and concern. • The therapeutic optimism of the 1950s and the thrusts toward social p...

Child abuse is a common diagnosis in the United States and should be considered any time neglect or emotional, physical, or sexual abuse is a possibility. Although home visitation programs have been effective in preventing child maltreatment, much of the approach to and management of child abuse is directed by expert opinion or legal mandate. Any suspicion of abuse must be reported to Child Pro...

Criminal thinking styles were examined as mediational links between different forms of child maltreatment (i.e., sexual abuse, physical abuse, and physical neglect) and adult criminal behaviors in 338 recently adjudicated men. Analyses revealed positive associations between child sexual abuse and sexual offenses as an adult, and between child physical abuse/neglect and endorsing proactive and r...

Child abuse is far more prevalent today than is generally recognized. Up to 90% of victims suffer physical abuse that can be observed in signs on the skin. Dermatologists are particularly qualified to identify these signs and distinguish them from other conditions that can mimic abuse. This review covers the signs of child abuse that can be observed on the skin. We discuss clues that can help d...

Child abuse is far more prevalent today than is generally recognized. Up to 90% of victims suffer physical abuse that can be observed in signs on the skin. Dermatologists are particularly qualified to identify these signs and distinguish them from other conditions that can mimic abuse. This review covers the signs of child abuse that can be observed on the skin. We discuss clues that can help d...

Interviews of women with (n = 193) and without (n = 170) recent exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) were used to examine how IPV and past exposure to child abuse influence self-reports of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The measurement of IPV included assessing psychological, physical, escalated physical, and sexual abuse. Women's retrospective accounts of childhood victi...

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the validity of primary health care providers’ (PHCPs) assessment of suspicion that an injury was caused by child abuse and their decision to report suspected child abuse to child protective services (CPS). METHODS: By using a subsample of injuries drawn from the 15,003 childhood injuries evaluated in the Child Abuse Recognition and Evaluation Study, PHCPs complet...