<unk>  is complex and difficult to study. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), estimates of the rates of<unk>  maltreatment vary widely by country, depending on how<unk>  maltreatment is defined, the type of maltreatment studied, the scope and quality of data gathered, and the scope and quality of surveys that ask for self-reports from victims, parents, and caregivers. Despite these limitations, international studies show that a quarter of all adults report experiencing physical abuse as<unk> ren, and that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 13 men report experiencing<unk> hood sexual abuse. Emotional abuse and neglect are also common<unk> hood experiences. , an estimated 41,000<unk> ren under 15 are victims of homicide each year. The WHO states that this number underestimates the true extent of<unk>  homicide; a significant proportion of<unk>  deaths caused by maltreatment are incorrectly attributed to unrelated factors such as falls, burns, and drowning. Also, girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence, exploitation and abuse in situations of armed conflict and refugee settings, whether by combatants, security forces, community members, aid workers, or others. United States The National Research Council wrote in 1993 that "...the available evidence suggests that<unk>  and neglect is an important, prevalent problem in the United States ...<unk>  and neglect are particularly important compared with other critical<unk> hood problems because they are often directly associated with adverse physical and mental health consequences in<unk> ren and families". In 2012,<unk>  Protective Services (CPS) agencies estimated that about 9 out of 1000<unk> ren in the United States were victims of<unk>  maltreatment. Most (78%) were victims of neglect. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, and other types of maltreatment, were less common, making up 18%, 9%, and 11% of cases, respectively ("other types" included emotional abuse, parental substance use, and inadequate supervision). According to data reported by the<unk> ren's Bureau of the US Department of Health and Human Services, more than 3.5 million allegations of<unk>  were looked into by<unk>  protective services who in turn confirmed 674,000 of those cases in 2017. However, CPS reports may underestimate the true scope of<unk>  maltreatment. A non-CPS study estimated that one in four<unk> ren experience some form of maltreatment in their lifetimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In February 2017, the American Public Health Association published a Washington University study estimating 37% of American<unk> ren experienced a<unk>  protective services investigation by age 18 (or 53% if African American). According to David Finkelhor who tracked<unk>  Maltreatment Report (NCANDS) data from 1990 to 2010, sexual abuse had declined 62% from 1992 to 2009 and the long-term trend for physical abuse was also down by 56% since 1992. He stated: "It is unfortunate that information about the trends in<unk>  maltreatment are not better publicized and more widely known. The long-term decline in sexual and physical abuse may have important implications for public policy." In 1998, Douglas Besharov, the first Director of the U.S. Center on<unk>  and Neglect, stated "the existing laws are often vague and overly broad" and there was a "lack of consensus among professionals and<unk>  Protective Services (CPS), personnel about what the terms abuse and neglect mean". A<unk>  fatality occurs when a<unk> 's death is the result of abuse or neglect, or when abuse or neglect are contributing factors to a<unk> 's death. In the United States, 1,730<unk> ren died in 2008 due to factors related to abuse; this is a rate of 2 per 100,000 U.S.<unk> ren. Family situations which place<unk> ren at risk include moving, unemployment, and having non-family members living in the household. A number of policies and programs have been put in place in the U.S. to try to better understand and to prevent<unk>  fatalities, including: safe-haven laws,<unk>  fatality review teams, training for investigators, shaken baby syndrome prevention programs, and<unk>  death laws which mandate harsher sentencing for taking the life of a<unk> . In 1995, a one off judicial decision found that parents failing to sufficiently speak the national standard language at home to their<unk> ren was a form of<unk>  by a judge in a<unk>  custody matter.
Child abuse
Physical abuse
Developmental regression
Psychological abuse
Sexual violence
Craniodiaphyseal dysplasia
Vitamin A deficiency
Substance abuse