ABSTRACT
Child welfare agencies are charged with investigating or assessing reports of child maltreatment and intervening to protect children from harm or risk of harm. In the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, the annual national study of child abuse and neglect reports, the definition of neglect takes into consideration that conditions should not be classified by neglect if they are solely influenced by poverty. From a child development perspective, maltreatment often results in delayed physical growth, neurological damage, and mental and emotional/psychological problems, such as violent behavior, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Child Protective Services agencies are charged with investigating or assessing reports of maltreatment and intervening to protect children from further maltreatment. Moreover, areas with a large income gap also had higher homicide rates, shorter life expectancies, and lower scores for children's educational performance and literacy. Poverty and race/ethnicity are related in the United States, and both are correlated with maltreatment.
