The “broken” child: Current aspects of the child maltreatment that the paediatricians should know

Child abuse and neglect is a common problem whose outcomes can be very harmful and damaging to the victims. Since it is not easy to recognize the conditions of child abuse and its prevalence certainly is underestimated and the identification of the real number of maltreated children is a challenge. Moreover, as society and culture we live in are constantly and progressively changing, new configurations of child abuse and neglect are emerging. Because of the great impact these situations can have on physical and psychological health of children, every paediatrician should be trained to recognize them and to play a role in supporting the well-being of each child.