• Email this page
• Printer-friendly version

Child Maltreatment Prevention
Scientific Information: Prevention Strategies

Child maltreatment is a serious problem that can have lasting harmful effects on victims. The goal for child maltreatment prevention is simple-to stop child abuse and neglect from happening in the first place. However, the solutions are as complex as the problem.

Prevention efforts should ultimately reduce risk factors and promote protective factors. In addition, prevention should address all levels that influence child maltreatment: individual, relationship, community, and society. Effective prevention strategies are necessary to promote awareness about child maltreatment and to foster commitment to social change.

Effective and Promising Programs

California Evidence-based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
This organization provides on-line access to information about evidence-based child welfare practices in a simple, straightforward format. Evidence-based practices are those that have empirical research supporting their efficacy.

First Reports Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Violence: Early Childhood Home Visitation
The Task Force on Community Preventive Services, an independent nonfederal task force, conducted a systematic review of scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of home visiting programs in preventing violence. This report summarizes the findings and recommendations.

Nurse-family Partnership
Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based nurse home visitation program that improves the health, well-being and self-sufficiency of low-income, first-time parents and their children.

Systematic Reviews

• Chadwick Center on Children and Families. Closing the quality chasm in child abuse treatment: identifying and disseminating best practices.  San Diego, CA: 2004. Available from: www.chadwickcenter.org/Documents/Kaufman%20Report/ChildHosp-NCTAbrochure.pdf
• Chaffin M, Friedrich, B. (2004). Evidence-based treatments in child abuse and neglect. Children and Youth Services Review. 2004;26:1097-1113.
• Daro D, McCurdy, K. Interventions to prevent child maltreatment. In Doll L, Bonzo S, Sleet D, Mercy J, Hass E, editors. Handbook of Injury and Violence Prevention. New York (NY): Springer; 2007.p.137-156.
• Sweet M, Appelbaum M. (2004). Is home visiting an effective strategy? A meta-analytic review of home visiting programs for families with young children. Child Development. 2004;75(5):1435-1456.

Using Evidence-Based Parenting Programs to Advance CDC Efforts in Child Maltreatment Prevention: Research Brief 2004
CDC has launched several prevention initiatives aimed at encouraging and promoting positive parent-child interactions. These initiatives are summarized in this publication.

World Report on Violence and Health
This report is the first comprehensive review of violence on a global scale. Chapter 3 provides detailed information on child maltreatment, including prevention strategies.

Guidelines and Planning Tools

Developing and Sustaining Prevention Programs
The Child Welfare Information Gateway provides resources on developing a prevention program, conducting a community needs assessment, funding, collaborating, evaluating program effectiveness, and building community support.

Other Resources

CDC's Extramural Research Program
CDC funds universities, medical centers and other outside organizations to conduct research related to child maltreatment prevention.

Preventing Child Maltreatment: Program Activities Guide
This guide describes CDC's public health activities and research to prevent child maltreatment.

* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.

Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.