Child abuse is a public health problem Published March 17, 2010 By Cecilia Diaz 52nd Medical Group Family Advocacy SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- In 2007, 1,760 children in the United States alone died due to abuse and neglect, and 794,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect. According to the U.S. Human Services, nearly 32 percent of all victims of maltreatment were younger than 4 years old. An additional 23.8 percent were ages 4-7 years and 19 percent were ages 8-11. Younger children are the largest group of victims of abuse. The rate of child victimization for males up to 1 year was about 22 per 1,000 children. The child victimization rate for females up to 1 year was also about 22 per 1,000 children. According to the Center for Disease and Prevention, many child abuse cases go unreported. In most cases, people do not immediately recognize signs of abuse, do not know who to report the abuse to, or they are frightened that agencies might disclose their name to the person they are referring. These factors can cause child abuse to be a problem on a large scale. Per Department of Defense standards, abuse includes all types of abuse and neglect that is inflicted upon children younger than 18 years old. There are four types of abuse - physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and emotional abuse. Physical abuse includes, but is not limited to, spanking with hand, dropping, pushing, slapping, grabbing, poking, scratching, pinching, restraining, shaking and striking. Neglect is depriving a child from their basic needs. It also includes abandonment, deprivation of necessities, educational neglect, medical neglect, and lack of supervision or exposure to physical hazards. Sexual abuse is any incident of sexual activity with a child for the purpose of sexual gratification of the alleged offender or other individual. Emotional abuse is the non-accidental act or acts that include berating or criticizing, humiliating a child, threatening to inflict harm upon child or loved one, pet or property, confining a child or excessive discipline. Child abuse affects a child's health. Children are even more susceptible to physical injuries such as cuts, bruises, burns, and broken bones than adults. Child abuse has proven to cause additional stress to children and can also disrupt early brain development. According to the CDC, extreme stress can harm the development of the nervous and immune system. Children who are abused are at a higher risk for health problems than adults. Some of these problems include alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, eating disorders, sexual promiscuity, smoking and suicide. Some factors can increase the risk of child abuse, such as drug and alcohol abuse, moving, deployments, new borns, employment stressors, computer addictions, financial difficulties and having a child with special needs. Presence of these factors does not always mean abuse will occur, but unique stressors can lead to abuse. Children under the age of 4 are at greater risk for severe injury and death from abuse. The family environment also has an impact. If there is a great deal of stress, than there is more risk for abuse to happen. Another risk factor is lack of support from family, friends, relatives and other social outlets. The ultimate goal is to stop child abuse before it starts. Family Advocacy provides a variety of prevention programs such as positive parenting skills, communication classes, new born baby parenting classes, anger management, stress management and others that aim to enhance the family environment. Family Advocacy has social workers, an outreach manager and two nurses who can answer any questions regarding prevention programs. To report abuse or to get help, contact Family Advocacy at 06565618279 or DSN 452-8279. Remember, reporting an incident only prevents the situation from getting worse. For more information about family maltreatment, visit cdc.gov.