As horrific and unimaginable as it sounds, child maltreatment is pervasive in the United States and ranks as one of the nation’s most pressing public health and social concerns. While many incidents no doubt go unreported, reliable survey evidence suggests that more than 13 percent of U.S. children are subject to abuse or neglect by a caregiver each year. It impacts children irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. The physical and emotional consequences to the victims often persist throughout their lives and represent a truly incalculable and often irreparable harm.
This fact alone should be sufficient justification for a massive national effort to both address the underlying causes and minimize the impacts on the victims. In reality, however, budget constraints and changing priorities have led to reduced funding to the agencies confronting the issue and fewer public resources for prevention, investigation, and amelioration.
In addition to the very real effects on the individuals involved, child maltreatment also imposes substantial economic costs which can be quantified in a comprehensive manner. When properly measured, every year that the situation is allowed to persist at current levels drains literally trillions of dollars in long-term business activity. Viewed from this perspective, there is a compelling case for the investment of public, private, and philanthropic resources into a multi-faceted attack on child maltreatment for pecuniary reasons that go beyond the obvious affront to human dignity and opportunity.
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