Future Directions in the Treatment of Physical Child Abuse

The incidence of physical child abuse has continued to increase over the past 15 years. During this time, studies have identified a myriad of serious acute and long-term consequences for its victims. Early approaches to treatment varied on a number of dimensions but failed to consistently demonstrate their effectiveness with perpetrators of physical abuse. Despite an obvious and pressing need, intensive efforts to identify the most efficacious treatment approaches appear to have been abandoned in favor of prevention, early intervention initiatives and in general, the area of child sexual abuse. This article examines the shift in priorities, selectively examines treatment approaches, discusses key research and programmatic issues, and offers suggestions for future directions.