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Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Commentary

On the incidence and prevalence of child maltreatment: a research agenda

Authors: Andreas Jud, Jörg M. Fegert, David Finkelhor

Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Research on child maltreatment epidemiology has primarily been focused on population surveys with adult respondents. Far less attention has been paid to analyzing reported incidents of alleged child maltreatment and corresponding agency responses. This type of research is however indispensable to know how well a child protection system works and if the most vulnerable are identified and served. Notable findings of child maltreatment epidemiological research are summarized and directions for future studies discussed.
Footnotes
1
We use the term child maltreatment to refer to both acts or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child [3]. Subtypes included are child neglect and sexual, physical and psychological abuse.
 
2
This commentary is partly based on a report for the German Independent Commissioner for questions related to child sexual abuse [1]. Part of the development of the report was an international expert meeting in December 2014 in Berlin with the participation of David Finkelhor, Carl-Göran Svedin and Nico Trocmé [2].
 
3
The following two paragraphs have been slightly adapted from Jud et al. [10].
 
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Metadata
Title
On the incidence and prevalence of child maltreatment: a research agenda
Authors
Andreas Jud
Jörg M. Fegert
David Finkelhor
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1753-2000
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-016-0105-8

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