Penn State's Center for Understanding Child Maltreatment
Official title: Penn State University's Translational Center for Child Maltreatment Studies (TCCMS)
Funded at Pennsylvania State University, the · NIH-11142954 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This center helps us better understand the long-term effects of child abuse and neglect on children and improve how we support them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State University, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (University Park, United States) |
| Project start | April 20, 2017 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,771,000 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD089922-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142954 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This center focuses on children and youth who have experienced or are at risk of child maltreatment, particularly those aged 0-11 years, and their families.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not directly involved in the observational cohort or forensic evaluation programs may not receive direct individual benefit from this center's activities.
What this research studies
Our center is dedicated to understanding the lasting effects of child maltreatment, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, on young people as they grow into adulthood. We follow children over time to learn about their experiences and how these events shape their development. We also work to make sure that children who might have experienced maltreatment can get high-quality evaluations to help them heal and receive proper support. Our goal is to use this knowledge to improve care and policies for children and families.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to identify, support, and treat children who have experienced maltreatment, improving their health and well-being into adulthood.
How similar studies have gone: This center builds upon successful prior work (Phase 1) and extends promising models of practice to address critical gaps in child maltreatment research and care.
Where this research is happening
-
Pennsylvania State University, the
University Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Connell, Christian M — Pennsylvania State University, the
- Study coordinator: Connell, Christian M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how state income support affects pediatric hospitalizations and child maltreatment
This project looks at how different state policies that provide income support to families influence hospital stays for kids and rates of child maltreatment.
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Pilot test of a telehealth-based approach to improve child maltreatment prevention reach and quality
A pilot project will test a telehealth-enabled approach to help more families access high-quality, safe child maltreatment prevention services.
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CHAMP Center: Causal Data Science to Prevent Child Maltreatment
A large, team-based effort uses advanced data science to understand what causes different kinds of child maltreatment so that better prevention approaches can be developed for kids 0-11 and their families.
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Preventing child maltreatment by supporting pregnant women and early childhood relationships
A multi-site trial tests programs delivered during pregnancy and when children are ages 3–6 to reduce child maltreatment and promote healthier parent-child bonds.
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Dissemination and Outreach Core for Penn State's Translational Center for Child Maltreatment Studies
A national research center is funding outreach efforts to help child protective services use evidence to better prevent and respond to child maltreatment.
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Telehealth for adolescent sexual assault forensic care (SAFE-T) expansion
A nationwide program helps rural and underserved hospitals give expert, trauma-informed sexual assault care to adolescent survivors through telehealth support.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.