A medical research agenda for child maltreatment: Negotiating the next steps

Child maltreatment remains a significant pediatric health problem despite 2 5 years since the establishment of the National Center on Child Abuse and N eglect, Federal funding for research on the medical aspects of abuse and ne glect has been inadequate and, over time, declining in adjusted dollars, Ne vertheless, important research has been conducted without federal support. Landmark research has occurred in the areas of physical abuse, sexual abuse , and neglect. Some of these accomplishments are noted, and a research agen da for future work is suggested.