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CMAS 258 exam 1 Questions and
Answers Latest 2026
What is child maltreatment? Ans: -a generic term that
includes abuse and neglect
-the term maltreatment is generally used in research, but
not always in practice/ policy
-notably, sometimes laws will use the term "child abuse"
to refer to abuse and neglect
CPS Ans: -child protective services
~most general term and refers to the system that
investigates and responds to allegations of child
maltreatment
~frequently called "social services" which is an older and
less specific term
-people may also use state specific terms, in PA its CYS
civil statutes Ans: ~always lower, can't deprive people of
their fundamental liberty
~allegations found to be true but not offensive
~to terminate someone's parental rights it has to have a
clear and convincing argument
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criminal statutes Ans: severe abuse
research Ans: ~variable
~mandatory reports to CPS > have to report everything
they see
lay definitions Ans: ~they way we generally talk about
maltreatment
~based on community standards or culture > lots of
disagreement
When, What and by Whom of maltreatment Ans: -has to
be recent >statute of limitations to protect the accused
~effort to change statute of limitations with sexual abuse
cases
-act or fail to act
-on the part of a parent or caretaker
act or failure to act Ans: ~doesn't have to be something
that you do, can also be something that you don't do
-parents have responsibility to provide for kids, when
they fail to meet their basic needs= failure to act
-someone else if harming child and parent fails to
intervene even if they know about it= failure to act
© 2025 All rights reserved
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~tends to be controversial especially in cases of domestic
violence
on the part of a parent or caretaker Ans: ~very restrictive
> generally assumed that if someone other than
parent/caretaker abuses a child it can be taken care of by
the parental figures/other adults in the household
~being able to remove child from the person causing the
abuse/neglect
~Pennsylvania has more exceptions than most states
Physical abuse Ans: ~generally defined as a "non-
accidental physical injury"
~areas of variability/subjectivity
-type or level of injury required
-acts that did not, but could, result in injury
sexual abuse Ans: ~"sexual abuse or exploitation" Any of
the following:
~"The employment, use, persuasion, inducement,
enforcement or coercion of a child to engage in or assist
another individual to engage in sexually explicit conduct,
which includes but is not limited to the following-(for the
purpose of sexual arousal or gratification)
-viewing intimate parts of a child
© 2025 All rights reserved
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-participating (by any means) in sexually explicit
conversation with a child
-actual or simulation sexual activity or nudity
emotional abuse Ans: ~this is variously referred to as
"mental injury" or "psychological abuse" and
encompasses verbal abuse
~requires a professional diagnosis to prove it
physical neglect Ans: ~an inability or unwillingness to
provide for a child's basic needs
EX. food, water, shelter, hygiene, medical care,
safety/protection from others
supervision neglect Ans: ~sometimes simply called
"general neglect"; difficult to define
~includes both "lack of supervision" and "inadequate
supervision"
*sometimes supervision counts as a basic need under
physical neglect, but it's significantly different construct
so we will, where possible, separate physical and
supervision neglect*
~substance abuse is usually a factor
emotional neglect Ans: ~failure to attend to child's
emotional needs; this would generally refer to the
absence of love, attention and stimulation
© 2025 All rights reserved
CMAS 258 exam 1 Questions and
Answers Latest 2026
What is child maltreatment? Ans: -a generic term that
includes abuse and neglect
-the term maltreatment is generally used in research, but
not always in practice/ policy
-notably, sometimes laws will use the term "child abuse"
to refer to abuse and neglect
CPS Ans: -child protective services
~most general term and refers to the system that
investigates and responds to allegations of child
maltreatment
~frequently called "social services" which is an older and
less specific term
-people may also use state specific terms, in PA its CYS
civil statutes Ans: ~always lower, can't deprive people of
their fundamental liberty
~allegations found to be true but not offensive
~to terminate someone's parental rights it has to have a
clear and convincing argument
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
criminal statutes Ans: severe abuse
research Ans: ~variable
~mandatory reports to CPS > have to report everything
they see
lay definitions Ans: ~they way we generally talk about
maltreatment
~based on community standards or culture > lots of
disagreement
When, What and by Whom of maltreatment Ans: -has to
be recent >statute of limitations to protect the accused
~effort to change statute of limitations with sexual abuse
cases
-act or fail to act
-on the part of a parent or caretaker
act or failure to act Ans: ~doesn't have to be something
that you do, can also be something that you don't do
-parents have responsibility to provide for kids, when
they fail to meet their basic needs= failure to act
-someone else if harming child and parent fails to
intervene even if they know about it= failure to act
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
~tends to be controversial especially in cases of domestic
violence
on the part of a parent or caretaker Ans: ~very restrictive
> generally assumed that if someone other than
parent/caretaker abuses a child it can be taken care of by
the parental figures/other adults in the household
~being able to remove child from the person causing the
abuse/neglect
~Pennsylvania has more exceptions than most states
Physical abuse Ans: ~generally defined as a "non-
accidental physical injury"
~areas of variability/subjectivity
-type or level of injury required
-acts that did not, but could, result in injury
sexual abuse Ans: ~"sexual abuse or exploitation" Any of
the following:
~"The employment, use, persuasion, inducement,
enforcement or coercion of a child to engage in or assist
another individual to engage in sexually explicit conduct,
which includes but is not limited to the following-(for the
purpose of sexual arousal or gratification)
-viewing intimate parts of a child
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4 | Page
-participating (by any means) in sexually explicit
conversation with a child
-actual or simulation sexual activity or nudity
emotional abuse Ans: ~this is variously referred to as
"mental injury" or "psychological abuse" and
encompasses verbal abuse
~requires a professional diagnosis to prove it
physical neglect Ans: ~an inability or unwillingness to
provide for a child's basic needs
EX. food, water, shelter, hygiene, medical care,
safety/protection from others
supervision neglect Ans: ~sometimes simply called
"general neglect"; difficult to define
~includes both "lack of supervision" and "inadequate
supervision"
*sometimes supervision counts as a basic need under
physical neglect, but it's significantly different construct
so we will, where possible, separate physical and
supervision neglect*
~substance abuse is usually a factor
emotional neglect Ans: ~failure to attend to child's
emotional needs; this would generally refer to the
absence of love, attention and stimulation
© 2025 All rights reserved
