Understanding and Treating Children Who Experience Interpersonal Maltreatment: Empirical Findings

Child maltreatment (CM) is a major health problem in U.S. society, with 872,000 substantiated cases reported in 2004 and unofficial rates ranging from 2 to 10 million cases per year. Depending on the severity, CM can negatively affect a child's physical, emotional, and psychological functioning and development immediately following an abuse incident or incidents; in severe cases, it can affect adult functioning. The author examines the empirically supported research related to the incidence, consequences, treatment effectiveness, and models of treatment for CM.