Abuse and maltreatment of children is a growing statistic. Each year, more than 3 million reports of alleged maltreatment are made to Child Protective Service agencies, suggesting that approximately six million children, or 11% of all U.S. students in K-12 schools, experience some form of maltreatment annually.8 While not all reported cases are investigated or substantiated, many instances of maltreatment go unreported; thus, the prevalence of maltreatment may be even higher. There are at least four major types of maltreatment: physical abuse, emotional abuse (or psychological maltreatment), neglect, and sexual abuse. It is important to note that these forms of maltreatment can occur separately or in combination with another. Given the unique characteristics and consequences associated with these various forms of maltreatment, this chapter will focus primarily on physical and emotional abuse. Other chapters in this volume will discuss sexual abuse (Chapter 13) and neglect (Chapter 14) in more details – readers working with students affected by physical and emotional abuse are encouraged to also review both of these other chapters for additional strategies.
