child abuse in america - child trauma home.pdfVIP

Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 2001. CHILD ABUSE IN AMERICA: PREVALENCE AND CONSEQUENCES Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D. James Hopper, Ph.D. Joseph Crozier, BA Trauma Center; 227 Babcock Street Brookline, MA 02446 Dept of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine ABSTRACT Childhood abuse and neglect is a serious problem in the United States; each year, over three million children are reported abused and/or neglected. One million of these reports are substantiated; however, more than half of the confirmed cases are closed on the day of substantiation. Research has shown that a range of psychiatric symptoms and disorders in child- and adulthood are associated with early trauma, including depression, post- traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, substance use, suicidality, self- mutilation, somatization, sexual behavior problems, dissociative disorders, and learning disorders. Moreover, abusive childhood experiences have been associated with increased risks of violent offending and being a victim of violence. Childhood abuse and neglect is a major public health problem cannot only dramatically affect the quality of life of many individuals, but also is enormously expensive for society at large. The present paper reviews both the prevalence of childhood abuse and neglect as well as its psychiatric and general health sequelae in child- and adulthood. 1