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Social
Work Speaks Abstracts
Child Abuse and Neglect
It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes all of society to stop child maltreatment. The historical record of child labor, violence against children, and the neglect of children living in severe poverty does not support the myth that our children used to be safer in our quaint neighborhoods of old. Furthermore, current political and social forces, such as welfare reform, homelessness, domestic violence, and civil rights issues, profoundly mold the plane on which child well-being is drawn. Social workers are the leaders in keeping our eyes and ears on the facts about how we treat our children. They need to be knowledgeable about historical trends and modern political developments that affect children’s safety. This policy statement explores the historical context of contemporary policy development, definitions of child maltreatment, and demographics of child abuse in the United States. Additionally, it examines several emerging issues that affect children, including domestic violence, substance abuse, the United States’ refusal to sign the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and important medical studies documenting the serious health consequences of child maltreatment. Furthermore, an analysis follows that describes why current efforts to protect children from maltreatment are ineffective, and how, if allowed to continue unabatedly, will prove deleterious to our children’s safety.
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