Child Maltreatment: Can It Be Defined?

Abstract

This article analyzes the definitional dilemma surrounding child maltreatment. Four interrelated purposes for definition are discussed: social policy, legal regulations, research, and case management. Following examination of the relationship between theoretical perspectives and attempts to define child maltreatment, major issues including who shall define, determining factors in definition, breadth of definition, and developmental level of the child are delineated. A narrowing of the definition is recommended to develop greater compatibility between the definition of the problem and the service system solution.