The dollars and senselessness in failing to prioritize childhood maltreatment prevention

Childhood maltreatment captured medical attention almost 50 years ago. Reviews considering the evidence for published maltreatment prevention programming emerged about 20 years ago. In the second decade of the 21st century, evidence-based maltreatment prevention is a reality for at-risk groups; however, the research-to-practice and policy gap remains in most countries. This article considers the importance of personal financial health and how that is necessarily the building blocks of national health. It argues for the primacy of the goal of problem prevention-the prevention of childhood maltreatment. A twofold approach is suggested: (1) broad-scale adoption of evidence-based prevention and (2) and on-going commitment to refining the evidence base for effective, promising, and novel intervention.