Child maltreatment is characterized by a specific pattern of abuse. What is that term?

• A. Pattern
• B. Recurrent exploitation
• C. Pattern of abuse
• D. Consistent neglect

Answer: (C)

Child maltreatment is understood as ongoing harm rather than a single incident. The term used to describe this is “pattern of abuse,” which signals repeated or sustained mistreatment across time or different situations. This framing matters because it reflects how professionals assess risk and determine protection needs—the presence of a repeating sequence is what distinguishes maltreatment from a one-time event. The other options either miss the repetition aspect or imply a nuance that isn’t the standard label for how maltreatment is described.