The Hidden Epidemic: Child Abuse and Its Long-Term Public Health Consequences
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 27
Special Issue Editors
Interests: domestic violence; child and adolescent health; child abuse; family; child and adolescent psychiatric nursing
Interests: human development; bullying; school violence; violence; moral disengagement; family; child health and adolescence; social networks; social psychology and public policies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Child abuse remains a pervasive and underreported global issue with profound and lasting consequences for individual and population health. Its impact extends far beyond childhood, contributing to a wide range of long-term physical, psychological, and social problems, including chronic diseases, mental health disorders, substance abuse, and impaired educational and economic outcomes. Despite growing recognition of the adverse effects of early trauma, child abuse often remains hidden due to social stigma, systemic failures, and limitations in detection and reporting mechanisms. This Special Issue aims to advance interdisciplinary research that explores the multifaceted dimensions of child abuse and its long-term public health consequences. We welcome contributions that examine prevalence, risk and protective factors, prevention strategies, trauma-informed care, and the role of health, education, and social service systems in addressing abuse and mitigating its effects. Studies focusing on vulnerable populations, intergenerational impacts, policy responses, and innovative intervention models are particularly encouraged. By shedding light on this hidden epidemic, we hope to inform more effective, compassionate, and evidence-based responses across sectors.
Prof. Dr. Diene Carlos
Prof. Dr. Wanderlei Abadio de Oliveira
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- child abuse
- child neglect
- domestic violence
- long-term health outcomes
- adverse childhood experience
- childhood adversity
- trauma-informed care
- public health
- child and adolescent mental health
- prevention strategies
- family violence
- health policy
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