This is the author’s final, peer-reviewed manuscript as accepted for publication. The publisher-formatted version may be available through the publisher’s web site or your institution’s library. Risk factors in child maltreatment: a meta-analytic review of the literature Sandra M. Stith, Ting Liu, L. Christopher Davies, Esther L. Boykin, Meagan C. Alder, Jennifer M. Harris, Anurag Som, Mary McPherson, and J. E. M. E. G. Dees This review presents the results of a series of meta-analyses identifying the relative strength of various risk factors for child physical abuse and neglect. Data from 155 studies examining 39 different risk factors were included in the review. Large effect sizes were found between child physical abuse and four risk factors (parent perceives child as problem, parent anger, family conflict and family cohesion). Large effect sizes were also found between child neglect and six risk factors (child social competence, parent-child relationship, parent perceives child as problem, parent’s level of stress, parent’s level of anger, and parent’s self-esteem). The study used a meta-analytic design to determine the strength of the relationship between each risk factor and child physical abuse or neglect across the literature as a whole. The findings support the importance of examining child maltreatment from a multifactorial perspective. The results indicate that parent factors independent of the child (parent anger/hyper-reactivity and family factors (high family conflict and low family cohesion) were the strongest risk factors for child physical abuse. For child neglect, the strongest risk factors were parent-child relationship and parent perception of child as problem. The study also found that many of the same risk factors were associated with child physical abuse as with neglect. Parent perception of the child as a problem and parent anger/hyper-reactivity were strongly related factors for both physical abuse and neglect. The quality of the parent-child relationship was a strongly related factor in neglect and a moderately related factor in physical abuse. Child social competence was strongly related to child neglect and moderately related to child physical abuse. The study highlights gaps in the literature on child neglect and on abusive and neglectful fathers. Future research is needed to correct these gaps. The results of this meta-analysis also illustrate which variables are most strongly related to child physical abuse and neglect throughout the literature as a whole. The study also highlights the importance of addressing the mental health needs of abusive and neglectful parents. Anxiety, depression and other forms of psychopathology appear to be important risk factors for child maltreatment. Finally, the importance of family conflict and family cohesion as risk factors for child physical abuse suggests that systemic interventions with the entire family may be necessary to reduce the likelihood that abuse may recur.This is the author’s final, peer-reviewed manuscript as accepted for publication. The publisher-formatted version may be available through the publisher’s web site or your institution’s library. Risk factors in child maltreatment: a meta-analytic review of the literature Sandra M. Stith, Ting Liu, L. Christopher Davies, Esther L. Boykin, Meagan C. Alder, Jennifer M. Harris, Anurag Som, Mary McPherson, and J. E. M. E. G. Dees This review presents the results of a series of meta-analyses identifying the relative strength of various risk factors for child physical abuse and neglect. Data from 155 studies examining 39 different risk factors were included in the review. Large effect sizes were found between child physical abuse and four risk factors (parent perceives child as problem, parent anger, family conflict and family cohesion). Large effect sizes were also found between child neglect and six risk factors (child social competence, parent-child relationship, parent perceives child as problem, parent’s level of stress, parent’s level of anger, and parent’s self-esteem). The study used a meta-analytic design to determine the strength of the relationship between each risk factor and child physical abuse or neglect across the literature as a whole. The findings support the importance of examining child maltreatment from a multifactorial perspective. The results indicate that parent factors independent of the child (parent anger/hyper-reactivity and family factors (high family conflict and low family cohesion) were the strongest risk factors for child physical abuse. For child neglect, the strongest risk factors were parent-child relationship and parent perception of child as problem. The study also found that many of the same risk factors were associated with child physical abuse as with neglect. Parent perception of the child as a problem and parent anger/hyper-reactivity were strongly related factors for both physical abuse and neglect. The quality of the parent-child relationship was a strongly related factor in neglect and a moderately related factor in physical abuse. Child social competence was strongly related to child neglect and moderately related to child physical abuse. The study highlights gaps in the literature on child neglect and on abusive and neglectful fathers. Future research is needed to correct these gaps. The results of this meta-analysis also illustrate which variables are most strongly related to child physical abuse and neglect throughout the literature as a whole. The study also highlights the importance of addressing the mental health needs of abusive and neglectful parents. Anxiety, depression and other forms of psychopathology appear to be important risk factors for child maltreatment. Finally, the importance of family conflict and family cohesion as risk factors for child physical abuse suggests that systemic interventions with the entire family may be necessary to reduce the likelihood that abuse may recur.