“Child/Youth maltreatment” encompasses multiple types of harm, including:
- Child Abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Spiritual abuse
- Neglect
- Harassment
- Bullying
- Hazing
Polyvictimization, or the experience of multiple victimizations of different types (such as both sexual and physical abuse) is common. Research on adverse childhood experiences found that of those who experienced at least one category of abuse, 87% also experienced a second category of abuse (ACE study, CDC, 1998). Other studies have shown that 66% of maltreated children are abused in at least two ways, 30% are abused in at least 5 ways, and 10% endure 11 or more types of abuse (Finkelhor et al., 2011).
Thus, our use of the term “maltreatment” is meant to acknowledge the many types of abuse youth may suffer. It also underscores the fact that protecting a youth from one form of abuse (such as sexual abuse) often protects the youth from additional forms of abuse (such as physical abuse or neglect).