Beyond the inherent moral implications, child abuse is a crime, a tragedy, and a significant public health burden. In the United States, approximately 1 in 5 children have experienced some form of maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse and the often overlooked danger of neglect. Child maltreatment results in over 1,700 deaths each year; however, the negative health effects reach well beyond these fatalities. In addition to physical injuries, maltreatment causes stress that can disrupt brain development. Thus, children who are maltreated are at higher risk for adult health problems such as alcoholism, smoking, depression, drug abuse, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, suicide, and certain chronic diseases.
This session of Public Health Grand Rounds from the CDC focused on the epidemiology and costs of child maltreatment, the need for partnerships, and the potential for policy interventions to combat this urgent public health issue.
This is Part 1 of a lecture in three parts.
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline
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