Final answer:
The statement that children under 1 are more vulnerable to abuse is true, as they have the highest rate of victimization. Contributing factors include dependency, poverty, and parental stress, especially among younger parents.
Child abuse transpires across all demographics, but stress-resilient parents are less likely to abuse.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that children under 1 are more vulnerable to abuse than any other age group is true. Infants, being children less than one year old, are reported to have the highest victimization rate with an incident rate of 20.6 per 1,000 infants. They are especially prone to neglect, as infants are fully dependent on parents or caregivers for their care, making them extremely vulnerable.
Factors such as cultural values, the community's standard of care, poverty, and a parent’s failure to utilize available public or private services can contribute to a high level of neglect. In cases where parents do not seek help, child welfare services might step in.
Moreover, child abuse can also manifest in different forms including physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, and medical neglect, which can have lifelong repercussions on the child's development and well-being.
Trends in child abuse indicate that younger parents, particularly teenage mothers, are at a higher risk of abusing their children compared to older parents.
The risk of child abuse declines as a parent’s age increases. This is partly due to the ability of older parents to better cope with stresses, such as those accompanying new parenthood.
Child abuse does not discriminate; it occurs across all socioeconomic, educational levels, and transcends ethnic and cultural lines. However, parents who exhibit resilience to stress, including financial strain, are less likely to engage in abusive behaviors.