Journal profile · Multiple
Child Abuse & Neglect
ISSN 0145-2134 · eISSN 1873-7757 · Elsevier
Child Abuse & Neglect: CAS Zone 2 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 3.63; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,050; median 157 days to acceptance (120 articles, last 24 months); 421 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Child Abuse & Neglect is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Child Abuse and Trauma, Intimate Partner and Family Violence and Child Welfare and Adoption, together about 48.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Clinical Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Official Publication of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and NeglectChild Abuse & Neglect is an international and interdisciplinary journal publishing articles on child welfare, health, humanitarian aid, justice, mental health, public health and social service systems. The journal recognizes that child protection is a global concern that continues to evolve. Accordingly, the journal is intended to be useful to scholars, policymakers, concerned citizens, advocates, and professional practitioners in countries that are diverse in wealth, culture, and the nature of their formal child protection system. Child Abuse & Neglect welcomes contributions grounded in the traditions of particular cultures and settings, as well as global perspectives. Article formats include empirical reports, theoretical and methodological reports and invited reviews.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Tracie AfifiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 9 in mainland China (about 8%); most named United States 46, Canada 16, Australia 13, Mainland China 9, United Kingdom 8 (119 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Child Abuse and TraumaPsychology32.9%
- Intimate Partner and Family ViolenceSocial Sciences8.6%
- Child Welfare and AdoptionSocial Sciences7.1%
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology7.1%
- Child Abuse and Related TraumaMedicine6%
- Homicide, Infanticide, and Child AbuseSocial Sciences5.9%
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchPsychology3.4%
- Migration, Health and TraumaPsychology3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Family Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Social Work | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Family Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Social Work | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Family Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Social Work | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Social | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.63LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.42LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.55LetPub ·
- h-index
- 243OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,225OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.49OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.32%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 435LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 8,755 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 359 | 213 | 115 |
| 2025 | 421 | 211 | 993 |
| 2024 | 438 | 216 | 3,137 |
| 2023 | 415 | 185 | 5,487 |
| 2022 | 358 | 158 | 6,076 |
| 2021 | 367 | 160 | 8,861 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
157 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 120 days – 203 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 9 days (120 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 169 days
- Sample
- 120 articles with submission and acceptance dates (951 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 61 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 157 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,050 / EUR 3,790 / GBP 3,240 / JPY 502,320 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,950 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Highlights
- Optional
Article types accepted4
- discussion articleThese may discuss a policy or legal / philosophical framework or a brief data report. The article must present a critical analysis of areas of gap in practice o…Length not stated
- medical reportChild Abuse and Neglect publishes clinically-relevant original research using a more structured medical format.Length not stated
- research articleChild Abuse and Neglect publishes quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method research. Particular focus will be placed on thorough and appropriate methods, str…Length not stated
- reviewsAbstracts should follow a structured format of no more than 250 words including the following sections: Background, Objective, Participants and Setting, Methods…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of one reviewer for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Rea…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 0145-2134
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-7757
- Society / sponsor
- International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Child Abuse & Neglect
What CAS zone is Child Abuse & Neglect in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Child Abuse & Neglect is in Zone 2 of Psychology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Family Studies / Social Work / Psychology, Social; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Child Abuse & Neglect?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.63; CiteScore 5.8, h-index 243.
How long does peer review take at Child Abuse & Neglect?
Based on the dates recorded on 120 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 157 days (interquartile range 120–203 days). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Child Abuse & Neglect?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; Reference style: APA; Highlights: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Child Abuse & Neglect based?
Of the 119 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 9 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (46), Canada (16) and Australia (13). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Child Abuse & Neglect?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Child Abuse & Neglect is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Child Abuse & Neglect open access, and what is the APC?
Child Abuse & Neglect is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,050.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .