Final answer:
Children are at the highest risk of injuries, acute illnesses, learning difficulties, and adjustment problems, with infants being especially vulnerable to neglect and abuse. These issues can lead to long-term psychiatric, cognitive, and social challenges, affecting not only individuals but society as a whole.
Step-by-step explanation:
Children at Highest Risk Among different age groups, children are at the highest risk of injuries, acute illnesses, learning difficulties, and emotional and adjustment problems. Infants, in particular, have the highest victimization rates due to their complete dependency on caregivers for their needs. Factors such as neglect, abuse, bullying due to emotional reactivity or differences (e.g., being overweight, cognitively impaired, or of diverse racial, ethnic, or sexual orientations), and varying susceptibility to harm across developmental stages place children in the highest risk category. Abused children are particularly vulnerable, with long-term consequences affecting their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. A staggering 80 percent meet criteria for psychiatric disorders by age twenty-one. Additionally, abuse can lead to cognitive and social difficulties, poor academic performance, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, and general delinquency, reinforcing the challenges in adjustment these individuals face. Furthermore, neglect can pose serious risks, especially for very young children under one year old, where incident rates are significantly higher. Without adequate care, which might include necessary public or private services, these children's development can be drastically impaired, affecting them throughout their lives.