Child and adolescent abuse and neglect research: a review of the past 10 years. Part I: Physical and emotional abuse and neglect

Abstract

Objective: To review the clinically relevant literature on the physical and emotional abuse and neglect of children and adolescents published during the past 10 years.

Method: Literature published between 1988 and 1998 was reviewed following a systematic search of Medline, Psychinfo, and the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Results: During the last decade there has been substantial progress in understanding the symptomatology associated with maltreatment. However, prevention and intervention research studies are relatively rare and frequently have important methodological limitations.

Conclusions: Child maltreatment research in the next decade needs to focus on understanding factors leading to resilient outcomes and on assessing the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological treatment strategies. Increased resources are needed to support child maltreatment research studies and investigators.