Primary prevention
Primary prevention policy often seeks to strengthen family functioning and includes intensive home-visiting programs with parent training and other parent education programs.[6][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] Primary care prevention models, which focus on enhancing parent education in reducing child maltreatment, have been shown to be effective in various US populations.[49][50][51] Family-specific programs for inflicted head injury prevention, involving educational videos in neonatal units and nurseries including an agreement by parents not to shake their baby, have also shown some benefits in the US and Japan.[52][53][54] The World Health Organization has identified a group of strategies that have shown success in reducing violence against children. WHO: seven strategies for ending violence against children. Opens in new window Public and professional awareness campaigns may also be beneficial.[55]
There is insufficient evidence to support universal screening for child maltreatment.[56] However, a growing number of proponents are supporting the use of domestic violence screening as a child maltreatment screening tool because the reported co-occurrence rate of domestic violence with child physical abuse ranges from 22% to 67%.[13]
Secondary prevention
Secondary prevention involves a variety of child protection procedures aimed at preventing the recurrence of child abuse. Examples include parent training programs for offending and non-offending parents, programs for addressing parental high-risk behaviors (e.g., substance abuse and domestic violence), and parental mental health services.[15]
While legislation such as mandatory reporting varies among countries and between states in the US and Australia, the overriding principle of "paramountcy" (i.e., that the welfare of the child is paramount) is universal. Most mandated reporting law requires certain citizens to report when there is reasonable concern for child abuse or neglect occurring. Doctors are required to share information with other agencies (e.g., social work and law enforcement agencies) to ensure that the needs of the child are met and the child is protected from harm. Doctors may be asked to provide written reports for use in multidisciplinary meetings, police investigations, and civil or criminal courts, and may be required to appear as witnesses (of fact or as experts) in court. The provision of criminal justice support services, alongside clinical and therapeutic services, may help to reduce the recurrence of the same type of violence in the short term, as well as symptoms of trauma. WHO: seven strategies for ending violence against children. Opens in new window
Tertiary prevention involves the management of cases of physical abuse and may involve alternative care situations for the child.[182]
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