Child Physical Abuse: A Pathway to Comprehensive Prevention

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the risk and protective factors associated with child physical abuse and a list of evidence-based interventions designed to target these factors and protect children from experiencing CPA. Universal, primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary prevention CPA interventions, such as home visiting programs and parent training models, are described in detail. They are broken down and organized by the levels of the socio-ecological model through which they operate, in order to affect change within the entire system (individual, family, community, societal levels). The chapter concludes with a discussion of the racial disparities and disproportionality of children of color within the child welfare system in the United States, specifically as it relates to child physical abuse cases.