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The Child Maltreatment Prevention Landscape: Where Are We Now, and Where Should We Go?

Author

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  • Brenda Jones Harden
  • Cassandra Simons
  • Michelle Johnson-Motoyama
  • Richard Barth

Abstract

Child maltreatment calls for a broad range of preventative policies and practices, but limited governmental funding and leadership has been devoted to the problem. Effective strategies to prevent maltreatment exist, but they have had limited uptake in the child welfare system. In this article, we trace how government responsibility for the prevention of child maltreatment became centered within the nation’s child protection response. Further, we discuss developments in prevention science, review the existing literature on the effectiveness of a range of prevention strategies, and present a public health approach to prevention. The article concludes with a set of recommendations to inform future efforts to prevent child maltreatment through approaches that seek to expand capacity for the implementation of evidence-based prevention programs, while addressing the adverse community experiences that exacerbate risk for child maltreatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Brenda Jones Harden & Cassandra Simons & Michelle Johnson-Motoyama & Richard Barth, 2020. "The Child Maltreatment Prevention Landscape: Where Are We Now, and Where Should We Go?," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 692(1), pages 97-118, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:692:y:2020:i:1:p:97-118
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716220978361
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Wan-Ting & Hsieh, Tan-Wen & Tsay, Jen-Huoy & Chang, Su-Hui & Chen, Chuan-Yu, 2025. "The impact of child maltreatment intervention on healthcare underutilization in at-risk young children: A quasi-experimental study in Taiwan," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    2. Fix, Rebecca L. & Luken, Amanda & Nair, Reshmi & Fix, Spencer T., 2025. "Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in substantiated child maltreatment: A state-level analysis of U.S. incidence rates," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).

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