UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The effects of child maltreatment costs taxpayers in the United States $428 billion every year, according to Jennie Noll, professor of human development and family studies, director of Penn State’s Center for Safe and Healthy Children, and Ken Young Family Professor for Healthy Children. This massive figure gives some sense of the scope of this national and world-wide problem.

Over the past decade, Penn State has developed the infrastructure and team of researchers needed to become a national leader in the prevention of child sexual abuse and the promotion of recovery from childhood trauma. Penn State and its partners have trained thousands of community members and children in abuse prevention strategies, participated in congressional briefings, initiated one of the most in-depth studies of the impacts of abuse ever conducted, and launched a new research center to promote safety and health for children.

“Our goal is to raise the bar for research in child abuse and neglect,” said Noll. “We have the recognition of federal funders. We have the world’s largest team of researchers working specifically on this problem. This is how we leverage science to change lives.”

Every year, 3.5 million allegations of child abuse are investigated in the United States. Researchers in the College of Health and Human Development are working to protect children from abuse and to promote healing among those who have experienced abuse or trauma. Read about their work in the latest edition of the college's interactive Discovery magazine.