Background: Although mandatory reporting has grown substantially in scope and geographical coverage, there is limited empirical evidence to support its effectiveness in preventing harm to children. In the absence of rigorous evaluations, comparing the perspectives of individuals who work in systems with and without mandatory reporting provides…

Objectives: There is much evidence showing that childhood adversities have considerable effects on the mental and physical health of adults. It could be assumed therefore, that the disease burden of childhood adversities is high. It has not yet been examined, however, whether this is true. Method: We used data of a large representative sample (N =…

Kimberly Howard and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn examine home visiting, an increasingly popular method for delivering services for families, as a strategy for preventing child abuse and neglect. They focus on early interventions because infants are at greater risk for child abuse and neglect than are older children. In their article, Howard and Brooks-Gunn…

The study compared data from doctors in the Netherlands from 1974 and 1983. Findings indicated a threefold increase in child abuse and neglect cases, a large increase in emotional maltreatment, an increase in detection of child fatalities, but a decrease in the severity of physical abuse. Sexual abuse was recognized far more often in 1983.…

The report discusses the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect in the Netherlands. Two Dutch institutions concerned specifically with the prevention of child abuse are described: a network of special teams consisting of doctors, social workers, and administrators; and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Aspects of…

A sample of 10 female adolescent sex offenders, aged between 11 and 18 years, is studied. They constitute about one-sixth of all young women who were registered at the prosecutor's office in the Netherlands during the past 10 years. Information was gathered from psychological screenings carried out in relation to the sex offence. Most young women…

This report represents the first ever attempt to draw a comparative picture of the physical abuse of children in the 27 richest nations of the world. UNICEF research estimates that almost 3,500 children under the age of 15 die from physical abuse and neglect every year in the industrialized world. The greatest risk is among younger children. A…

This annual report describes the activities of the International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI) in improving youth welfare in a wide range of countries as well as its plans for the upcoming year. ICDI is a non-profit organization that is practice, research and policy-oriented and works globally to address violations of the rights of children…