Child maltreatment: the United States Air Force's response

Abstract

Families in the military are not immune to problems of child abuse and neglect, but few data have been disseminated which describe child maltreatment in the military. This article reports on the incidence of child maltreatment in the United States Air Force by presenting descriptive data on over 19,587 substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect which occurred over a 6-year period. Annual percentage increases in child maltreatment reports are discussed, as are substantiation rates for child abuse and neglect. This article also describes the United States Air Force programs serving military personnel and their families throughout the world. A subset of cases are analyzed and offenders' and spouses' perceptions of the services received and the benefits derived are reported.