Who We Are

Prevent Child Abuse Connecticut is a programof the Connecticut Children’sAlliance. We are the state chapter of Prevent Child AbuseAmerica, the country’s leading voice for child abuse prevention.

Our Mission: 

Our mission is to build a statewide network committed to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, thehealthy development of children and the successful future of Connecticut’schildren, families and communities.

Our Vision:

 AllConnecticut children are safe, healthy and resilient living in strong,compassionate families and vibrant communities.

OurValues: We believe:

  • Children are the foundation of asustainable and prosperous society.
  • All children have the right to safe,secure and supportive environments.
  • All parents have the right to the supportand knowledge that child rearing demands.
  • Child abuse preventionrequires strengthening families and communities.

Frameworks we support: 

Well-plannedcommunity-based programs have been shown to play an essential role inpreventing child abuse and neglect. Effective prevention programs:

  • Are designed to engage families and others at risk for child abuse or neglect before a crisis occurs
  • Enlist new partners in community efforts to ensure the safety and protection of children
  • Reach “at risk” parents:  teen parents and those involved in domestic violence and substance abuse; addressing mental health issues; raising children with disabilities; living in extreme poverty and social isolation; and those with a history of abuse.
  • Are located in hospitals, clinics, shelters, prisons, housing projects and schools.
  • Focus on fostering strong bonds and healthy relationships between parents and their children while often addressing other parental needs.
  • Bolster the chances that children will experience a safe and healthy home, have positive relationships with their parents and stable family life, leading to success in school and healthy development with maturity.

We support programming based on a five-tierframework to prevent child abuse and neglect:

  1. System-oriented collaborations
  2. Training and development
  3. Direct services
  4. Public awareness and education
  5. Outcome measurement, research andevaluation

Child Abuse in Connecticut at a Glance:

Last year over 10,000 Connecticut children were abused and neglected by those who should nurture and protect them.  In addition to the consequences of immediate harm, child victims suffer a higher risk of long-term problems: learning difficulties, poor health, mental illness, substance abuse, juvenile and adult crime. We all pay the price for child abuse. Connecticut spends an estimated $270 million a year to deal with direct costs of child abuse direct costs for foster care services, hospitalization, mental health treatment, and law enforcement and an estimated $1 billion a year to deal with long-term consequences include loss of productivity, as well as expenditures related to chronic health problems, special education, and the criminal justice system.

BACKGROUND

Child abuse and neglect is a serious problem in the United States. TheUnited States has one of the worstrecords among industrialized nations – losing on average almost five (5)children every day to child abuse and neglect. 1,2

National child abuse estimates are well known for being under-reported.The latest 2015Child Maltreatment Report from The Children’s Bureau was publishedin January 2017. The report shows an increase in child abuse referrals from 3.6million to 4 million. The number of children involved subsequently increased to7.2 million from 6.6 million. The report also indicates an increase in childdeaths from abuse and neglect to 1,670 in 2015, up from 1,580 in 2014.1 Otherreports estimate child abuse fatalities at 1,740 or even higher.3 

Child abuse includes emotional maltreatment, sexual violations, ornonaccidental injuries inflicted on a child by a caregiver such as severebeatings.  Child neglect includes thefailure to provide a child with basic necessities including food, clothing,shelter, health care, and emotional support. Fromthe evidence available, it is clear that with the exception of child sexualabuse, children are most likely to be abused or neglected by parents and/orcaregivers. 4  Child maltreatment rarely stems from unloving,or deliberately bad parenting, but rather from a lack of preparation for, orknowledge of, critical challenges surrounding parenting.

Parents face an array of challenges in their efforts to provide the bestpossible situation for their children. Given the mobility of American society, many parents are apart fromfamily and friends whom they might otherwise rely on for child-rearing help.  In addition, many parents are wary of seekingassistance or advice with regard to parenting out of fear that their lack ofknowledge may reflect badly on them as caregivers. Parents may also lackknowledge of health, hygiene, and nutritional needs of their children.  Finally, many communities lack appropriatesupport services for parents who wish to take steps to improve their parenting,especially in the early years and during adolescence. These barriers to supportand knowledge, which are reinforced by the inherent challenges of caring forchildren, can lead to situations in which overwhelmed, upset or confusedparents inflict physical and emotional abuse on their children, or neglecttheir children’s needs.

Child abuse has far reaching consequences impacting the current andfuture health of our children, families and communities.  Abuse andneglect during infancy or early childhood can cause regions of the brain toform and function improperly with long-term consequences on cognitive andlanguage abilities, socioemotional development, and mental health.3 Children who experience abuse and neglect are atincreased risk for smoking, alcoholism, and drug abuse as adults, as well asengaging in high-risk sexual behaviors.5,6 A National Institute ofJustice study indicated that being abused or neglected as a child increased thelikelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59%. Abuse and neglect also increased thelikelihood of adult criminal behavior by 28% and violent crime by 30%.7  In one long-term study, as many as 80%of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at leastone psychiatric disorder at age 21. These young adults exhibited many problems,including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide attempts.8,9 Thetotal lifetime economic burden resulting from new cases of fatal and nonfatalchild abuse and neglect in the United States in 2008 is approximately $124billion in 2010 dollars. This economic burden rivals the cost of other highprofile public health problems, such as stroke and Type 2 diabetes.10

The good news is that child abuse and neglect is preventable.  To prevent (and minimize the harm of) child abuse and neglect requires a change in the behavior of people, especially perpetrators of abuse and neglect, the survivors of abuse and neglect, and outside observers who may be in a position to do something about the problem. 

There are some promising ways to decrease the risk for abuse and neglect, such as by increasing knowledge of normal child development, enhancing effective parenting skills, or assisting parents in using quality child care programs.  Targeting change in high risk situations may help prevent potential abuse and neglect.  Similarly, broader system changes, such as helping parents obtain adequate employment, or enhancing the availability of quality child care may reduce risk.  These goals can be accomplished through the efforts of a variety of sectors within the community including schools, faith-based organizations, health organizations and businesses. 

As well, a protective factors framework can be used to guide programs, services, supports and interventions aimed at preventing child maltreatment and promoting healthy outcomes. Protective factors are characteristics or strengths of individuals, families, communities or societies that act to mitigate risks and promote positive well-being and healthy development. Most often, we see them as attributes that help families to successfully navigate difficult situations.  The Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework from the Center for the Study of Social Policy distills extensive research in child and family development into a core set of five protective factors: parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social and emotional competence of children. Protective factors can promote resiliency, help children and adults heal, and support prevention efforts.  We, as a society, have a responsibility to help parents surmount the challenges that inhibit effective parenting because effective parenting is essential for stable families, and healthy and stable families help lay the foundation for a healthy society.

Selected References

  1. Child Maltreatment 2015. Published:January 19, 2017. An office of the Administration for Children & Families,a division of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. This reportpresents national data about child abuse and neglect known to child protectiveservices agencies in the United States during federal fiscal year 2015.Retrieved from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-maltreatment-2015
  2. U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children andFamilies, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau.(2013). Child Maltreatment 2012. Available from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/child-maltreatment
  3. CDC.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cost of Child Abuse and NeglectRival Other Major Public Health Problems (2012). Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childmaltreatment/economiccost.html
  4. WHO.World Health Organization.  The GlobalCampaign for Violence Prevention. Chapter 3: Child abuse and neglect by parentsand other caregivers.  Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/global_campaign/en/chap3.pdf
  5. Long– Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Child Welfare InformationGateway. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013.Retrieved from: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfm
  6. Swan,N. (1998). Exploring the role of child abuse on later drug abuse:Researchers face broad gaps in information. NIDA Notes, 13(2).Retrieved from the National Institute on Drug Abuse website: www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol13N2/exploring.html
  7. AmyB. Silverman, Helen Z. Reinherz, Rose M. Giaconia, The long-term sequelae ofchild and adolescent abuse: A longitudinal community study, Child Abuse &Neglect, Volume 20, Issue 8, August 1996, Pages 709-723. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0145213496000592
  8. NationalCouncil on Child Abuse and Family Violence. Parental Substance Abuse AMajor Factor In Child Abuse And Neglect. Retrieved from: http://www.nccafv.org/parentalsubstanceabuse.htm
  9. Widom C S,Maxfield MG. An update on the “cycle of violence.” Washington (DC): NationalInstitute of Justice; 2001. Available from: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/184894.pdf

Fang, X., et al. The economic burden of childmaltreatment in the United States and implications for prevention. ChildAbuse & Neglect (2012), doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.10.006 Retrievedfrom: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213411003140