About Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin Information & Statistics Our Programs Recognizing & Reporting Events How You Can Help Hot Topics Resources
Contributing Factors to Child Abuse and Neglect

Correlations

Costs of Child Abuse & the Need for More Prevention

Prevalence of Child Abuse

Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect

What is Child Abuse?

PCAW Materials and How to Order

Web Resources

Home
Prevent Child Abuse WI


Correlations

Child Abuse, Neglect and Domestic Violence
  • There is a significant overlap between abuse of women and children. One study estimated that 30-40 percent of women who are abused have children who are abused.
  • Domestic violence is the single major precursor to child deaths in the U.S. It is estimated that 70% of cases in which an abused child dies, their mother has been the victim of domestic violence.
  • It is believed that child abuse is 15 times more likely when there is domestic violence in the home.
  • When child abuse is substantiated, 42% of those children lived in homes where there was domestic violence.
  • Living in an abusive home puts children in greater risk of being hurt as they may:
    • be the target of displaced anger or frustration of either parent - abused mothers are 8 times more likely to abuse children when they are battered than when they are safe
    • try to protect their parent and in the process be injured
    • be hurt accidentally if they get in the way
Children who grow up in a violent home tend to experience:
  • Danger
  • Fear and tension
  • Chaos
  • Confusion
  • Isolation
  • Helplessness
  • A love/hate relationship with their parents
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
  • Children who witness domestic violence at home display emotional and behavioral disturbances such as withdrawal, low self-esteem, nightmares, self-blame and aggression towards peers, family members and property.
  • 30% of children who witness domestic violence go on to become perpetrators of violence compared to 2-4% of people in the general population.
  • When boys are exposed to severe domestic violence they are ten times more likely as adults to be violent towards their partner.
Child Abuse/Neglect and Alcoholism/Drug Abuse
  • Alcohol and other drug abuse affects children both emotionally and physically. In their pre-occupation with alcohol, parents may neglect their children's needs.
  • Children's self-esteem may suffer as parents might call them names or embarrass them in front of others.
  • Children may feel frustrated, unhappy, confused, angry, frightened, ashamed.

Children affected by adult's problems with alcohol or drugs may be:
  • insecure and have related behavior problems like delinquency, aggression, passiveness.
  • overly responsible and take on tasks their parents or caretakers would normally do, such as feeding themselves and caring for younger siblings.
  • unable to trust others and express feelings.


Possible contributing factors to abuse/neglect by someone abusing alcohol/drugs include:
  • The drinking parent ''losing control'' and using alcohol as an excuse.
  • The non-drinking parent taking his or her resentment of the drinking parent out on the child.
  • Either parent having unrealistic ideas about what to expect from a child at a certain age.
  • Alcohol lowers a person's inhibitions and so they may take risks and make decisions that could harm someone. The use of alcohol is often linked with incidents of child sexual abuse.
  • Caretakers who drink may neglect their child because they are too involved with alcohol to be aware of the child. A non-drinking parent may be too burdened by his or her spouse's demands to care for the child.
Child Abuse, Neglect and Poverty
    Families who live in poverty are subject to constant stress. Poverty is often accompanied by the stress of unemployment and inadequate housing. In addition, there may be other problems such as mental illness and substance abuse. Living in poverty puts children at greater risk for maltreatment as they live under these stressful and often unsafe conditions. Parents may lose hope and lack the energy to overcome any additional stress. To cope with their stress parents may withdraw or lash out at their children.

    The Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect found that children from families with annual incomes below $15,000 were over 22 times more likely to experience maltreatment than children from families whose incomes exceeded $30,000. These children were also 18 times more likely to be sexually abused, almost 56 times more likely to be educationally neglected, and over 22 times more likely to be seriously injured.

    Other research has found that young children living in poverty are more likely to be born at a low birthweight, receive lower quality medical care, experience hunger and malnutrition, experience high levels of interpersonal conflict in their homes, and be exposed to violence and environmental toxins in their neighborhoods, all of which place children at greater risk for maltreatment or harm. In addition, research has found that children who live in poverty are more likely to: experience delays in their physical, cognitive, language, and emotional development which, in turn, affect their readiness for school; be hospitalized during childhood; and die in infancy or early childhood.






PREVENT CHILD ABUSE WISCONSINn | 1820 Appleton Road | Menasha, WI 54952
phone 920-996-2210 | fax 920-996-2214 | 1-800-CHILDREN
pcaw@cssw.org