Section on Child Maltreatment

The Section on Child Maltreatment (Section I of Div. 37 of the APA) was established in 1994 to support and promote scientific inquiry, training, professional practice, and advocacy in the area of child maltreatment. The Section on Child Maltreatment is the only permanent organization within the APA specifically developed to address issues related to child abuse and neglect. 

For more information about the section, please contact the Section on Child Maltreatment President Karen Appleyard Carmody, PhD.  

The Section on Child Maltreatment of Div. 37 (Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice) supports and promotes scientific inquiry, training, professional practice, and advocacy in the area of child maltreatment. 

The purpose of the Section on Child Maltreatment is to promote the general objectives of APA and Div. 37 (Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice); to support and encourage the development of the scientific study of child maltreatment and of sound professional practice relevant to child maltreatment; to provide up-to-date information about maltreatment; to encourage networking across divisions/sections in the area of maltreatment; and to advance scientific inquiry, training, and professional practice in the area of child maltreatment as a means of promoting the well-being, health, and mental health of children, youth, and families.