The Problem of Child Abuse and Neglect and the Selected Aspects of Social Capital

This review article, which analyzes empirical articles from the last 30 years, aims to point out the potential role of social capital in preventing child maltreatment at the micro and mesolevels: families and local communities. The analysis is based on foreign research (from English-language journals; unfortunately, there is not any research done by Polish researchers in this field) which examined whether and how social capital (including its aspects such as social trust, networks and social support) can reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. The first part of the work contains an overview of basic terminological findings. Then, the literature on the subject was reviewed. The results of numerous studies indicate the important role of social capital in reducing the use of violent methods by parents, and the need to reach out to parents who suffer from depression or experience social isolation. The article ends with conclusions and proposals for actions at the local level aimed at supporting families and communities in preventing violence and neglect against children.