Final answer:
To determine if a child has experienced abuse, abandonment, or neglect, it is essential to evaluate various risk factors and the role of parents as primary perpetrators. Infants are particularly vulnerable, and factors such as parental substance abuse can markedly increase the risk of harm.
Step-by-step explanation:
Determining whether a child has suffered from abuse, neglect, or abandonment involves assessing numerous factors, such as the incidence rates of victimization, the vulnerability of certain age groups, and the roles of various risk factors. Infants are highly susceptible, with a reported incident rate of 20.6 per 1,000, often due to complete dependency on caregivers. Factors like substance abuse can drastically increase the risks, with children in these contexts facing three times the risk of physical abuse and four times the risk of neglect.
Common forms of child abuse include neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, and medical neglect. Significantly, 81.2 percent of perpetrators are the parents themselves, which illustrates the severity of domestic risks. The long-term consequences of such abuse can be profound, with around 30 percent of abused children potentially abusing their own children in the future.