Title: Risk and protective factors for child abuse and neglect | Child Family Community Australia
Headings: Risk and protective factors for child abuse and neglect
Risk and protective factors for child abuse and neglect
Why discuss risk and protective factors?
Definitions
The interaction of risk and protective factors
Limitations of the research
Common risk factors for child abuse and neglect
Table 1: Commonly cited risk factors for child abuse and neglect
Common protective factors for child abuse and neglect
Table 2: Protective factors for reducing the incidence of child abuse and neglect
Practice applications of skills and protective factors
Conclusion
Additional CFCA readings
References
Endnotes
Authors and Acknowledgements
Publication details

Content: Indeed, child maltreatment can also occur in families that experience none of the commonly associated risk factors (Ronan, Canoy, & Burke, 2009). Definitions
Risk factors for child maltreatment are the measurable circumstances, conditions or events that increase the probability that a family will have poor outcomes in the future (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2014; Masten & Wright, 1998). When combined with limited protective factors, they increase the probability of children experiencing child abuse or neglect. Protective factors are attributes or conditions that can occur at individual, family, community or wider societal level. Protective factors moderate risk or adversity and promote healthy development and child and family wellbeing (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2014). They serve as safeguards that can help parents find resources or supports and encourage coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under difficult circumstances. Child abuse and neglect (or child maltreatment) consist of any acts of commission or omission by a parent, caregiver or other adult that results in harm, potential for harm or the threat of harm to a child (0-18 years of age) even if the harm is unintentional (Gilbert et al., 2009). Child abuse and neglect can be in the form of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect or exposure to family violence.