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An online publication in the Journal of American Medical Association Pediatrics estimated one in eight American children — roughly 12 percent — experience maltreatment before the age of 18. According to this June 2014 report co-authored by Hedy Lee, UW associate professor of sociology, maltreatment is much more common than previously thought.
Child maltreatment — neglect, verbal, psychological, and physical abuse — can shape health and well-being throughout a lifetime. While abuse is commonly associated with child harm, neglect encompasses 80 percent of maltreatment cases. Experiencing hunger, lack of clean clothes, lack of care when ill, or staying home alone frequently before age 16 are markers for neglect.
Researchers highlight the greater prevalence of maltreatment and differences between racial groups as most noteworthy.
Previous annual reports understated the actual number of confirmed maltreatment cases at roughly 1 percent. While few gender differences exist, the communal risk for maltreatment in African-American and Native American children is high. Approximately one in five African-American children and one in seven Native American children are maltreated, much higher than the average.
http://dailyuw.com/archive/2014/07/16/science/childs-nightmare#.U8bC5I1dVBY
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