New types of child maltreatment: a public and social emergency that can no longer be ignored

Abstract

Child abuse and neglect is a common problem that is potentially damaging to the long-term physical and psychological health of children. As society and culture have progressively changed, different con-figurations of child abuse and neglect have emerged. Little attention has been focused on these types of child maltreatment, which represent a new emergency in this field. Pediatricians should be trained to play a major role in caring for and support-ing the social and developmental well-be-ing of children raised in various conditions and with new types of problems. Pediat-ric care should be based on an increasing awareness of the importance of meeting the psychosocial and developmental needs of children and of the role of families in promoting health.