World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Child Maltreatment
H-index 22

Child Maltreatment

1077-5595

Published by: SAGE

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/cmx

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Psychology 305 124 125 20

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 165
Documents by Best Scientists*: 155
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 8
SCIMAGO H-index: 102
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.19
Impact Factor: 3.3

Overview

Top Research Topics at Child Maltreatment?

Child Maltreatment generally zeroes in on subjects such as Child abuse, Injury prevention, Suicide prevention, Human factors and ergonomics and Developmental psychology. Child Maltreatment tackles research in Victimology and Physical abuse as part of the general discipline of Child abuse, however, it also discusses concepts in Psychiatry and Neglect. The Victimology study featured in Child Maltreatment draws parallels with the field of Domestic violence.

It focused on works that combine foundational knowledge of Injury prevention with components of disciplines like Occupational safety and health, Clinical psychology, Pediatrics and Demography. Welfare and Family medicine are some topics wherein Occupational safety and health research discussed in Child Maltreatment have an impact. Aside from Suicide prevention, the journal also covered works in other subjects like Mental health, Intervention (counseling), Foster care, Psychological intervention and Nursing.

The journal explores Human factors and ergonomics to see how it intertwines with other fields like Medical emergency and Social psychology. The journal focuses on Developmental psychology but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Social relation, Social support and Interpersonal relationship. The majority of Sexual abuse studies in the journal are focused on the subject of Child sexual abuse.

  • Child abuse (54.09%)
  • Injury prevention (41.45%)
  • Suicide prevention (39.69%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • A Global Perspective on Child Sexual Abuse: Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Around the World: (1076 citations)
  • The victimization of children and youth: a comprehensive, national survey (1055 citations)
  • The Long-Term Sequelae of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Women: A Meta-Analytic Review: (450 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Child Maltreatment:

The most cited papers mainly tackle studies in Child abuse, Victimology, Developmental psychology, Injury prevention and Sexual abuse. The published papers facilitate discussions in Physical abuse as part of the larger field of Child abuse, however, they also tackle fields such as Psychiatry, Neglect and Clinical psychology. The journal papers focus on Victimology but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Domestic violence and Victimisation.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Law
  • Developmental psychology
  • Social psychology

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal primarily tackles Clinical psychology, Developmental psychology, Child abuse, Neglect and Injury prevention. It explores topics in Clinical psychology which can be helpful for research in disciplines like Adverse Childhood Experiences, Substance abuse and Depression (differential diagnoses). Many of the research works in Developmental psychology, specifically Aggression, closely connected to disciplines like Domestic violence.

Child Maltreatment facilitates discussions in Psychological abuse and Physical abuse as part of the larger field of Child abuse, however, it also tackles fields such as Psychiatry. The study of Neglect encompasses disciplines such as Child protection, as well as fields such as Health care and Mental health, all of which overlap with one another. Child Maltreatment explores issues in Injury prevention which can be linked to other research areas like Suicide prevention and Human factors and ergonomics.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • The Perfect Storm: Hidden Risk of Child Maltreatment During the Covid-19 Pandemic. (10 citations)
  • Healing Interpersonal and Racial Trauma: Integrating Racial Socialization Into Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for African American Youth. (10 citations)
  • How COVID-19 Is Placing Vulnerable Children at Risk and Why We Need a Different Approach to Child Welfare (8 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Child Maltreatment (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Mark Chaffin (20 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Howard Dubowitz (20 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition,
  • Lucy Berliner (19 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Candice Feiring (17 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Brett Drake (16 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Child Maltreatment (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of Washington (41 papers) published 4 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (38 papers) published 6 papers at the last edition,
  • University of Southern California (36 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore (33 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition,
  • University of New Hampshire (32 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 0.00% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 33.73% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 14.46% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 21.69% of all publications and 30.12% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Paths in Child Maltreatment Research

With the increasing body of knowledge in Child Maltreatment, there are now numerous career options in this field. These are not just limited to Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, or Child Abuse studies, but also extend to newer branches like Injury Prevention, Suicide Prevention and Victimology. A common career path in Child Maltreatment would include becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). A BCBA would typically perform Behavior Assessments, design and monitor Behavior Intervention Plans, teach social, academic, and daily living skills, and provide training to parents and teachers, among other things. Given the crucial role that a BCBA plays in Child Maltreatment research, it's essential to have skilled and certified professionals in this role. Wondering how you can become one? Here's a comprehensive guide on how to become a board certified behavior analyst in North Carolina.

Besides this, several other specialized roles and opportunities exist within Child Maltreatment research. These include Social Workers, Child Advocates, Forensic Interviewers, and Emergency Medical Technicians. Professionals in these roles contribute significantly to the prevention, intervention, and treatment of Child Maltreatment.

Email us for more information on these career paths and how you can potentially contribute to Child Maltreatment research.

Top Publications

  • The Perfect Storm: Hidden Risk of Child Maltreatment During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

    Christina M Rodriguez;Shawna J Lee;Kaitlin P Ward;Doris F Pu

    (2021)
    150 Citations
  • Sexual Abuse and Assault in a Large National Sample of Children and Adolescents.

    Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan;David Finkelhor

    (2020)
    120 Citations
  • How COVID-19 Is Placing Vulnerable Children at Risk and Why We Need a Different Approach to Child Welfare

    Todd I Herrenkohl;Debbie Scott;Daryl J Higgins;J Bart Klika

    (2021)
    107 Citations
  • Experiences With COVID-19 Stressors and Parents' Use of Neglectful, Harsh, and Positive Parenting Practices in the Northeastern United States.

    Christian M. Connell;Michael J. Strambler

    (2021)
    89 Citations
  • Child Sexual Abuse and Risk of Revictimization: Impact of Child Demographics, Sexual Abuse Characteristics, and Psychiatric Disorders.

    Nina Papalia;Emily Mann;James R P Ogloff

    (2021)
    73 Citations
  • Higher Levels of Harsh Parenting During the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Netherlands.

    Novika Purnama Sari;Novika Purnama Sari;Marinus H van IJzendoorn;Pauline Jansen;Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg

    (2021)
    45 Citations
  • Social Cohesion and Informal Social Control as Mediators Between Neighborhood Poverty and Child Maltreatment

    Kathryn Maguire-Jack;Susan Yoon;Sunghyun Hong

    (2021)
    41 Citations
  • Child Maltreatment, Autonomic Nervous System Responsivity, and Psychopathology: Current State of the Literature and Future Directions:

    Genevieve Young-Southward;Cassandra Svelnys;Ruchika Gajwani;Michelle Bosquet Enlow

    (2020)
    40 Citations
  • Developmental stage of onset, poly-victimization, and persistence of childhood victimization: impact on adult well-being in a rural community-based study

    Kimberly J Mitchell;Elizabeth A Moschella;Sherry Hamby;Victoria Banyard

    (2020)
    31 Citations
  • Child Maltreatment Investigations in Canada: Main and Moderating Effects of Primary Caregiver Cognitive Impairment.

    David McConnell;Marjorie Aunos;Laura Pacheco;Maurice Feldman

    (2021)
    29 Citations

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Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal