FATALITIES
Each
day in the United States, more than 3 children die as a result of
child abuse in the home.
In
1998, an estimated 1,100 children died of abuse and neglect—an
average of more than 3 children per day.
(Victims known to child protective services agencies, which
track abuse and neglect in the home.) 1
Most
of the children who die are younger than 5 years of age.
Of
these fatalities, more than three-quarters were under the age of five;
38 percent of the children were under the age of one. 1
More children (age four
and younger) die from child abuse and neglect than any other single,
leading cause of death for infants and young children.
This
includes falls, choking on food, suffocation, drowning, residential
fires, and motor vehicle accidents.2
REPORTING
OF ABUSE
Approximately 3 million
child abuse reports are made each year.
In
1998, approximately 2.8 million child abuse reports were received by
local child protective services (CPS) agencies. 1
Child
abuse is reported—on average—every 10 seconds.
Based
on 2.8 million reports per year.1
Two-thirds
of the reported cases were investigated.
An estimated 903,000 victims of maltreatment were substantiated
by child protective services agencies in 1998. 1
Nine
in 10 Americans polled regard child abuse as a serious problem, yet
only 1 in 3 reported abuse when confronted with an actual situation.3
This supports an earlier
report in which the actual incidence of abuse and neglect was
estimated to be 3 times greater than the number reported to
authorities.4
TYPES
OF ABUSE
In
1998, one-quarter (25.3 percent) of victims suffered more than one
type of maltreatment. 1
These included:
| Neglect |
53.5% |
| Physical
Abuse |
22.7% |
| Sexual
Abuse |
11.5% |
| Emotional
Abuse |
Approx. 6% |
| Medical
Neglect |
Approx. 6% |
SEXUAL
ASSAULT OF CHILDREN
Convicted
rape and sexual assault offenders serving time in State prisons report
that two-thirds
of their victims were under the age of 18. 5
One
of every seven victims of sexual assault reported to law enforcement
agencies were under age six. 6
Among
rape victims less than 12 years of age, 90% of the children knew the
offender, according to police-recorded incident data.5
Frequently,
the person who sexually molests a child is also a child.
6
40%
of the offenders who sexually assaulted children under age 6 were
juveniles (under the age of 18). 6
INFLUENCE
OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Nearly one-half of
substantiated cases of child neglect and abuse are associated with
parental alcohol or drug
abuse. 7
It is estimated that one
in every four children in the United States (28 million) are living in
a household with an alcoholic adult.8
Men and women serving time
in the nation’s prisons and jails report a higher incidence of abuse
as children than the general population.9
More
than a third of women in the nation’s prisons and jails reported
abuse as children, compared with 12% to 17% for women in the general
population. About
14% of male inmates reported abuse as children, compared with 5% to 8%
of men in the general population. 9
SOURCES:
1U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.
Child Maltreatment 1998:
Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data
System (NCANDS). (Washington,
D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2000).
Online statistical fact sheets: www.calib.com/nccanch/pubs/index.htm
2A
Nation’s Shame: Fatal Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States
(Published April 1995, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect).
Based upon figures from the National Safety Council and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
3National
poll conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland for Los Angeles-based
Children’s Institute International (CII).
Results released June 3, 1999. www.childrensinstitute.org
(Press Release: How America Defines Child Abuse).
4U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, National Center on Child
Abuse and Neglect. Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect: Final Report (NIS-3)
(Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, September 1996).
5
From more than
two dozen statistical datasets maintained by the Bureau of Justice
Statistics and data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program of
the FBI. Available online from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau
of Justice Statistics (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs).
Located in publications section under: “Sex Offenses and
Offenders” Jan.-Feb. 97. NCJ 163392
6Findings
from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
Data based on reports from law enforcement agencies for years
1991 through 1996. Available
online from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice
Statistics
(www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs).
Located in the publications section under: “Sexual Assault of
Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and
Offender Characteristics” July
2000. NCJ 182990
7Child
Welfare League of America: Alcohol and Other Drug Survey of State
Child Welfare Agencies. Washington,
D.C.: Child Welfare League of America, 1998.
8Grant,
B: Estimates of U.S. Children Exposed to Alcohol Abuse and Dependence
in the Family. American
Journal of Public Health January 2000; 90:112, Washington.
9Based
upon several surveys of inmates and adults on probation (1995-1997). Available online from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau
of Justice Statistics (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs).
Located in publications section under: “Prior Abuse Reported
by Inmates and Probationers” April
99. NCJ 172879
NOTE: Additional sources of child abuse statistics may be found at
the Web site of the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect
Information: www.calib.com/nccanch/pubs
In particular, see
“Child Abuse and Neglect/Child Welfare Webliography” under
“Other Publications” for a listing of over 300 Web sites that
provide information resources.
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