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Victimization by child abuse and neglect presents some of the most difficult and stressful cases faced by service providers and advocates. Child victims are extremely vulnerable, often completely helpless, and are often greatly harmed by their victimizations. This paper briefly describes several basic forms of child abuse and neglect and the developmental and ecological contexts within which child maltreatment occurs. With this knowledge as a backdrop, the differential impacts of victimization across childhood stages, by type of harm done and in which family/social contexts, are briefly summarized. Given these complexities and the need to protect child victims across many systems (e.g., medical, mental health, and criminal justice), well coordinated responses are critical to successful interventions. Several models for multidisciplinary, collaborative programs are described to assist the beginning advocate and service provider. |
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