Any action, including the failure to act, that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. Maltreatment is commonly used as an umbrella term for abuse and neglect.

The World Health Organisation defines child maltreatment as "the abuse and neglect that occurs to children under 18 years of age. It includes all types of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence and commercial or other exploitation, which results in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.” In the context of the CPMS, it is expanded to cover harm inflicted by those unknown to the child.

A wide range of disorders that affect an individual’s cognition, emotion and/or behaviour, and interfere with one’s ability to learn and function in the family, at work and in society. Most of these conditions can be successfully treated. They include mental and substance use problems, severe psychological distress, intellectual disabilities and suicide risk. For pragmatic reasons, some neurological conditions such as epilepsy and dementia are usually part of programmes for mental health conditions in humanitarian emergencies.

A state of psychological well-being (not merely the absence of a mental health condition) in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community.

Any type of local or outside support that aims to protect or promote psychosocial well-being and prevent or treat mental health conditions. MHPSS programmes aim to (1) reduce and prevent harm, (2) strengthen resilience to recover from adversity, and (3) improve the care conditions that enable children and families to survive and thrive. See mental health, psychosocial and child well-being.

Specify the minimum qualitative levels to be attained in humanitarian response.

Reducing harmful impacts or consequences. For humanitarian action, it may include physical infrastructural measures as well as improvements to the environment, strengthening livelihoods or increasing public knowledge and awareness. See Response.

At programme level, monitoring is an on-going, internal process of data collection focused on inputs and outputs. At coordination level, monitoring both the situation and the response is central to optimizing the impact of efforts to protect children in emergencies. Situation monitoring is the on- going and systematic data collection and analysis of child protection risks, concerns, violations and capacities in a given humanitarian context. Response monitoring is the on-going and coordinated measurement of the humanitarian response in a humanitarian context (i.e. activities planned and carried out by humanitarian actors). See Standard 6: Child protection monitoring.