Prevention Strategies
Child abuse and neglect are serious problems that can have lasting harmful effects on its victims. The goal in preventing child abuse and neglect is to stop this violence from happening in the first place.
Child abuse and neglect are complex problems rooted in unhealthy relationships and environments. Preventing child abuse and neglect requires addressing factors at all levels of the social ecology–the individual, relational, community, and societal levels.
CDC’s Technical Package for Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect pdf icon[3.69 MB, 52 Pages, 508] identifies a number of strategies based on the best available evidence to help states and communities prevent and reduce child abuse and neglect. Effective prevention strategies focus on modifying policies, practices, and societal norms to create safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. The strategies and their corresponding approaches are presented in the table below.
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect |
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|---|---|
| Strategy | Approach |
| Strengthen economic supports to families |
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| Change social norms to support parents and positive parenting |
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| Provide quality care and education early in life |
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| Enhance parenting skills to promote healthy child development |
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| Intervene to lessen harms and prevent future risk |
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