Prevention Strategies
Child abuse and neglect are serious problems that can have lasting harmful effects on victims. CDC’s goal is to stop child abuse and neglect 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 risk and protective factors at the individual, relational, community, and societal levels.
CDC developed a resource, Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Resource for Action [4 MB, 50 Pages] to help states and communities use the best available evidence to prevent and reduce child abuse and neglect. This resource is available in English and Spanish [21 MB, 52 Pages, 508] and can impact individual behaviors and the relationship, family, school, community, and societal factors that influence risk and protective factors for violence. 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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