General information only. This Parent Resource summarizes WHO information about child maltreatment.
How does WHO define child maltreatment?
WHO includes physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence and commercial or other exploitation that results in actual or potential harm within a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.
Can maltreatment affect health beyond childhood?
Yes. WHO describes possible lifelong effects on physical and mental health as well as wider social and occupational consequences.
Why can the scale be difficult to measure?
WHO notes that child maltreatment is often hidden and that only a portion of affected children receive support from official services.
Does WHO consider maltreatment preventable?
Yes. WHO states that maltreatment can be prevented before it occurs and describes prevention as requiring multisectoral approaches that support children, caregivers and safer environments.
This page cannot determine whether maltreatment occurred. Immediate safety concerns require the appropriate local emergency, child-protection or law-enforcement services.
References
- World Health Organization. Child maltreatment, 8 May 2026.