Final answer:
The term "stranger danger" does not comprehensively address child abuse risks since most abuse is perpetrated by the child's parents (81.2%) or other family relatives. Child abuse encompasses neglect, physical, sexual, psychological abuse, and medical neglect, with neglect being the most common. Young parents, particularly teenage mothers, are at higher risk of abusing their children due to inadequate stress coping mechanisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of "stranger danger" is not an entirely effective strategy to protect children from abuse, because statistics show that the majority of child abusers are individuals known to the child. In fact, according to Child Help 2011 reports, a significant percentage of child abuse cases consist of neglect (78.3%), physical abuse (10.8%), sexual abuse (7.6%), psychological maltreatment (7.6%), and medical neglect (2.4%). It is noteworthy that the majority (81.2%) of perpetrators are parents; with an additional 6.2% consisting of other family relatives.
Child abuse crosses all socio-economic, educational, ethnic, and cultural lines. Factors such as poverty, cultural values, and community standards can increase the risk of neglect, particularly for infants under one year of age who are the most victimized and entirely dependent on their caregivers. Public and private assistance services are available to help prevent such neglect, and failure to utilize these services when necessary can result in intervention by child welfare services. Additionally, stress among parents, especially young parents who may lack coping mechanisms, increases the risk of child abuse; teenage mothers are more likely to abuse their children compared to their older counterparts.