Definitions of maltreatment vary from state to state and among agencies, making such statistics unreliable. .
Most provincial and territorial child welfare laws require those (including professionals and members of the public) who suspect that a child is being maltreated to make a report to the appropriate child welfare authority to determine if a child is in need of protection. If a child is determined to be in need of protection, the child welfare authorities may respond by, for example, providing counseling and support for the family, removing the child (temporarily or permanently) from the home, or removing the abuser(s) from the home. Criminal sanctions may also apply in cases of sexual or physical abuse. The decision to separate one or more children from an abusive parent or parents must be weighed against the risks. The children may not understand why they are being removed from their home. Children may not realize they are being abused or neglected, so the removal might seem like another instance of them doing something wrong and being punished. Also, child-welfare agencies often have difficulty finding suitable placement for abused children because such children frequently require special care. If they become a burden for any foster parent or institution, the risk of abuse might actually be greater than in the home of the biological parents. There are also risks to keeping children in abusive homes. The support services may not resolve the problems that led to the abuse and the child may be abused again or worse, killed. Of children killed by parents or caretakers, from 30 to 50 percent have been previously identified by child-welfare agencies and either left in their home or returned home after a short-term removal. .
So, what causes parents to abuse and neglect the children entrusted in their cares? The answer to that, unfortunately, is not very definite. There is no one factor that predisposes someone to abuse their children.
