Title: Risk Factors for Child Abuse and Neglect - CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County
Headings: Risk Factors for Child Abuse and Neglect
Risk Factors for Child Abuse and Neglect
Parent or Caregiver Risk Factors:
Child Risk Factors:
Parenting Methods and Household Risk Factors:
Community and Environmental Risk Factors:
How can we mitigate these risks?

Content: An individual’s risk factors may include mental health issues, adverse response to stress, and trauma history. Substance Abuse: Studies have shown that between one and two-thirds of child maltreatment cases involve substance use to some degree. Teen Parents: Studies of physical abuse, in particular, tell us that higher rates of child abuse occur when parents are in their teenage years. Additional factors contributing to the risk factors listed above include lower socioeconomic status, lack of social support, and high-stress levels. Child Risk Factors: The child’s age, health—physical, mental, and emotional—and social development may increase susceptibility to abuse and neglect. Given their size, early development status, and need for constant care, infants and young children are more vulnerable to certain types of maltreatment, including abusive head trauma and physical or medical neglect. Parenting Methods and Household Risk Factors: