Physical abuse occurs when a child is intentionally harmed or endangered by another person.
Understanding and Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
Child abuse and neglect are pressing societal issues. According to the Oklahoma Child Abuse Statute (21 OK Stat § 843.5, 2023), child abuse is defined as the willful or malicious harm, or the threatened harm, to a child under the age of eighteen. This includes failing to protect a child from harm or the threat of harm, as well as actions that involve willfully or maliciously injuring, torturing or maiming a child under 18 years of age by any individual.
Four Main Types of Abuse
Emotional abuse refers to harming a child's self-esteem and emotional well-being. It encompasses verbal and emotional assaults, such as consistently belittling or berating a child, as well as isolating, ignoring or rejecting them.
Child sexual abuse refers to any sexual activity involving a child. This can include both sexual contact abuse and non-contact sexual abuse. Examples of non-contact abuse are exposing a child to sexual activity or pornography, observing or filming a child in a sexual manner, sexually harassing a child, or involving a child in prostitution or sex trafficking.
Neglect is failing to provide sufficient food, clothing, shelter, clean living conditions, affection, supervision, education, or medical and dental care.
The Difference: Poverty vs. Neglect
Poverty should not be equated with neglect. Poverty refers to the lack of resources that limits or prevents a caregiver from providing adequate food, clothing, shelter, clean living conditions, love and affection, supervision, education, or medical and dental care.
The key distinction is that neglect is intentional, whereas poverty is not.
According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway's article, "Separating Poverty from Neglect," nearly three-quarters of reports to child protective services nationwide include allegations of neglect.
This same article states that families who are experiencing poverty are more likely to be reported for neglect. The article goes on to indicate that these high rates of neglect allegations that in many cases lead to family separations highlight the crucial role in implementing more effective prevention and early intervention strategies. According to the most recent Child Welfare Outcomes for Oklahoma, 19.7% of all children in Oklahoma were living at a poverty rate.
Racial and ethnic disparities significantly complicate this issue. Research indicates that underrepresented groups, particularly Black and American Indian/Alaska Native children and families, are disproportionately affected. This demographic faces not only a higher average number of investigations following reports of maltreatment but also increased rates of removal from their homes.
In Oklahoma, there were 54.5 children per 1,000 who were subjected to a child maltreatment investigation, with neglect accounting for 76.9% of these cases. Among the reports investigated, 61% involve children who are Alaska Native/American Indian, Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or identify as two or more races.
Prevention Efforts
Research shows that improving family stability is directly associated with reducing rates of abuse, neglect and poverty regardless of the root causes of these issues. When it comes to addressing neglect related to poverty, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that enhancing economic and concrete supports for families is a crucial and reassuring strategy for preventing child maltreatment. These supports have been demonstrated to boost parents' ability to meet their children's basic needs, access necessary services like childcare, playgroups, and parenting groups, and help alleviate stress and depression. Moreover, economic assistance can contribute to increased housing stability.
We all play a part in strengthening, supporting, and ensuring the health of children and families. This responsibility extends beyond caregivers; it is a societal obligation. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by implementing protective factors. Protective factors are characteristics or conditions that help reduce or buffer the effects of risks, stress, or trauma.
According to FRIENDS, implementing these protective factors is a key strategy for intervening and improving the social and emotional well-being of children and youth. Moreover, helping children and their families learn about and develop protective factors can significantly enhance outcomes for them.
The FRIENDS Protective Factors framework includes the following protective factors: Knowledge of parenting; concrete supports; resiliency; nurturing and attachment; social support; and children’s social and emotional competency. Other protective factor frameworks exist, including those from the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (ACF), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Essentials for Childhood, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy.
Protective factors can be implemented in various ways, including policy, programming, and at the community and individual levels. Some examples of programming built on a foundation of protective factors include home visitation, Family Resource Centers, and resource navigation services.
Prevention Levels
Primary prevention consists of activities that are targeted toward the community at large. These activities are meant to impact families before any allegations of abuse and neglect. Primary prevention services might include public education activities, parent education classes that are open to anyone in the community, family support programs, and Family Resource Centers to name a few.
Secondary prevention consists of activities targeted to families that have one or more risk factors, including families with substance abuse, teen parents, parents of special needs children, single parents and low-income families. Secondary prevention services could include but are not limited to parent education classes targeted at high-risk parents, respite care for parents of a child with a disability, or home visiting programs for new parents.
Tertiary prevention consists of activities targeted at families that have confirmed or unconfirmed child abuse and neglect reports. These families have already demonstrated the need for intervention, either with or without court supervision.
If you believe a child is being abused or neglected, you have a legal responsibility to report it. Reports can be made at any time to the DHS Abuse and Neglect Hotline at (800) 522-3511. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Contact Information
LaChez' English, CBCAP Grant Coordinator
Mailing Address:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Office of Child Abuse Prevention
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave, Ste. 1702
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406
Phone: (405) 426-8401
