Long-term Socioeconomic Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect: Implications for Policy (pdf)

Child abuse and neglect greatly influence victims’ long-term wellbeing. Until recently, however, we have known little about how such experiences affect victims’ later socioeconomic status. Current research has examined the long-term impact of child abuse and neglect on adult employment, income, and reliance on public assistance, as well as the reasons for this impact. Abuse and neglect, often collectively referred to as maltreatment, place victims at significantly increased risk for problems across a range of socioeconomic areas, even after such factors as race, age, and childhood socioeconomic status have been taken into account. This brief provides an overview of these findings and indicates several strategies for addressing this problem.