Child maltreatment

Abstract

Child maltreatment has become a major concern in countries throughout the world. This article presents a study conducted among 164 Arab social workers in Israel. The study asked the following questions: How do Arab social workers define child maltreatment? What signs are used to identify potential cases? What are the risk factors for child maltreatment as perceived by the social workers? How do social workers perceive their role in reporting maltreatment? The results reveal that the respondents’ definitions of maltreatment focus more on abuse than on neglect.