Childhood Abuse Prevention Month

In reviewing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics on child abuse in Arizona, it was shocking to learn that – of the 12,324 reports of child abuse in 2022 – 24% of the victims were less than a year old. 
 
I bring this to your attention because April is Childhood Abuse Prevention Month and as behavioral health professionals, we are obligated to report suspected abuse. Child abuse is not only a legal and healthcare issue, but is also a moral, societal, and economic issue.
 
Abuse comes in many forms, from being physically harmed, to sexual abuse/exploitation, neglect, psychological abuse and/or witnessing physical violence. It is well documented that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have devastating, life-long impacts on the victims. Toxic stress during childhood development can “weaken developing brain architecture and permanently set the body’s stress response system on high alert.” This damage to the neurological and endocrine systems can also result in a range of emotional and physical consequences into adulthood; the higher a person’s ACEs score, the more likely they are to have “serious mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, eating disorders, dissociative identity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)” and “health problems, including alcoholism, depression, heart disease, diabetes,” “obesity, autoimmune disease, and even reduced life expectancy by as much as 20 years.”
 
This harms the abused person’s coping abilities, resilience, educational and employment opportunities, and subsequently their loved ones and communities. In a 2018 study published in the Child Abuse & Neglect journal, the authors reported that: “The estimated U.S. population economic burden of child maltreatment based on 2015 substantiated incident cases (482,000 nonfatal and 1670 fatal victims) was $428 billion, representing lifetime costs incurred annually. Using estimated incidence of investigated annual incident cases (2,368,000 nonfatal and 1670 fatal victims), the estimated economic burden was $2 trillion. Accounting for victim and community intangible costs increased the estimated cost of child maltreatment considerably.”
 
The burdens are immense, and they are preventable. In working with our patients, it is vital to assess them for a history of child abuse to inform treatment planning. It is also crucial to survey parents about their stress levels to prevent abuse. The consequences of not addressing and preventing child abuse are significant – for not only the reasons stated above, but also on a person’s epigenetic mechanisms. We can all play a role in helping people with ACEs to heal their trauma by supporting their mental and physical health, and to prevent child abuse through awareness and compassion.