Child Abuse & Neglect in Mississippi: Beginning the Conversation

The Mississippi State Medical Association House of Delegates passed Resolution 18 in 2016 to bring attention to child abuse and neglect in Mississippi. This descriptive article is the first of a number of articles that will be included in the Journal MSMA to educate further the medical community on a problem that impacts individuals throughout their life. Research has shown that our medical professionals, just like many other disciplines that encounter child abuse, are unprepared to identify and respond to the issue of child abuse. This article outlines the magnitude of child abuse in Mississippi as well as the life-long ramifications of that abuse. Lastly, this article outlines two current initiatives in Missis'sippi attempting to make systemic changes to identification and response to cases of child abuse.