Multiple Aspects of Maltreatment: Moving Toward a Holistic Framework

The ways that researchers define and categorize maltreatment experiences determine both the priorities and scope of scholarly work in the field. In this chapter we review extant literature on maltreatment experiences and consider the benefits and limitations of the current focus on discrete types of maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect). We then offer suggestions for moving prevention efforts beyond the focus on individual maltreatment experiences to more broadly address the complex nature of early adversity. We consider the need for research identifying the meaningful ways in which maltreatment experiences overlap and suggest promising research methodology. We further suggest that the field would benefit from a more holistic preventative framework anchored by a public health model of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.