This Resource Guide was developed by the Office of Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. OCAN released its first Resource Guide more than 15 years ago with the goal of raising awareness about emerging child abuse prevention concepts. It was created primarily to support community-based service providers who work to prevent child maltreatment and promote family well-being. However, over the years many others—including policymakers, health-care providers, program administrators, teachers, childcare providers, parent leaders, mentors, and clergy—have found the resources useful.
Prevention is generally recognized as occurring at three levels: primary (directed at the general population), secondary (focused on families where risk factors are present), and tertiary (focused on families where maltreatment has already occurred). This guide has traditionally focused on primary and secondary prevention activities, which endeavor to stop maltreatment before it occurs.
Click here to read the full Prevention Resource Guide!