Children living in poverty are more likely to experience maltreatment, particularly neglect. Maltreatment of children impacts child well-being in profound ways, often leading to psychological and emotional problems. When it occurs to a very young child, abuse and neglect can impact brain development, the developing nervous system and the immune system. This early damage continues as these children become adults and may lead to alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, high-risk behaviors and in some cases, criminal behavior.

The indicator is the rate of children experiencing intergenerational poverty who have been victims of a substantiated case of either abuse or neglect at anytime in the childhood.