Child Abuse and Neglect

Abstract Abuse and neglect are major worldwide issues that can take the form of sexual, spiritual, emotional or completely failing to provide for the child’s needs. These issues can trigger serious, long-term mental harm to the child. Child abuse is a complex and dynamic life experience when a parent or caregiver causes harm or threat to a child, including acts of omission and commission. The large variability in notified prevalence and incidence across studies makes determining the true number of maltreated children difficult. Following PRISMA guidelines, databases from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and PubMed were used to review the literature. The terms ‘Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Impact of Child abuse, Forms of Abuse’ were used as keywords as per the Medical Subject Headings. Studies in English have always been included. Grey literature was also examined to learn more about the epidemiology and treatment of this particular issue. Child abuse and neglect of any kind leave a child with long-lasting scars, which can be physiological or emotional. Childhood exposure to violence can raise a child’s vulnerability to adverse health outcomes such as social anxiety, distress and so on, as well as make people more likely to become victimisers later in life. Preventative policies and programs must specifically address children, their guardians and the social and cultural contexts to minimise future abuse and effectively deal with instances of violence and neglect that have occurred.