Posted by permission. Retrieved from https://www.capcsac.org/statistics/index.html
The Magnitude of the Problem
- In 1996, child protective service agencies investigated more than 1 million reports alleging child maltreatment of more than 3 million children.1 That means reports were filed on about 1 out of every 15 children in the U.S. [7]
- Of the 1 million reports made alleging child abuse, 1 million children were identified as substantiated victims of maltreatment. [1]
- The actual incident of child abuse and neglect is estimated to be 3 times greater than the number reported to the authorities. [1]
- Every 10 seconds a child is abused. [3]
- In 1996, reports of child abuse were received from:
- 51% Professionals/Mandated Reporters
- 18% Family member or the victim
- 9% Friends and/or neighbors
- 10% Other or anonymous [1]
- An estimated 1,077 child maltreatment fatalities (or 3 per day) occurred in the United States in 1996. Some experts believe a more realistic estimate is 1,000 – 5,000 children die from child abuse each year. [1]
Types of Child Abuse and Neglect
- The percentage of child abuse victims suffered harm in 1996 from:
The Victims
- More than half of the victims were 7 years old or younger and one-quarter were younger than 4 years of age. [1]
- Between 1995 and 1997, 78% of child abuse and neglect fatalities were children under the age of 5, and 38% were under one year of age. [3]
- 56% of all victims were white
- 1% American Indian/Alaska Native
- 1% Asian/Pacific Islanders [1]
- Children in homes of substance abusing caretakers are almost 3 times likelier to be abused and more than 4 times likelier to be neglected than children of parents who are not substance abusers. [1]
The Victim’s Future
- Maltreatment in childhood increases the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 53%, and as an adult by 38% and for females by 77%. [1]
- Being abused or neglect in childhood increases the likelihood of arrest for females by 77%. [1]
- Children who are sexually abused are 18 times more likely to be arrested for prostitution as an adult. [1]
- 85% of convicted felons were abused as children. [9]
The Children Who Are Dying
- Children younger than age 4 accounted for 76% of the fatalities. [1]
- Between 1995 and 1997, 78% of child abuse and neglect fatalities were children under the age of 5, and 38% were under one year of age. [3]
- Fatal abuse usually occurs in one of two ways: repeated abuse and/or neglect over a period of time (battered child syndrome) or in a single, impulsive incident of assault (drowning suffocating or shaking the baby for example). [1]
- Child abuse kills more children in America than do accidental falls, drowning, choking on food, fires in the home or suffocation. [4]
- Children under age 3 account for approximately 75% of child deaths from child abuse. [1]
- Head trauma is the leading cause of child abuse deaths among babies. This includes shaken baby syndrome in which 15% of victims die and the majority of the survivors suffer brain damage. [4]
The Perpetrators
- Who is abusing the children:
- 77% of the perpetrators were parents
- 11% of the perpetrators were relatives of the victim
- 10% were classified as noncaretakers or unknown
- 1% were in other caretaking roles, such as childcare, foster care, etc. [1]
- Females account for three-quarters of the neglect and medical neglect cases, and three-quarters of the sexual abuse cases were associated with male perpetrators. [1]
- An estimated one-half of all homes with adult violence also involve child abuse or neglect. [4]
- One-third of all child molesters incarcerated in state prisons nationwide had attacked their own children or stepchildren, the majority of whom were age 11 or younger. [4]
- Children from families with annual incomes below $15,000 per year were more than 15 times more likely than children from families with an annual income above $30,000 to be harmed by child abuse or neglect. [1]
- 50 to 80 percent of all child abuse cases substantiated by CPS involve some degree of substance abuse by the child’s parents. [1]
- Most of the perpetrators in child fatalities are the child’s primary caregivers [1]
Sexual Abuse
- More cases of child sexual abuse are never reported than are ever tried in court. [5]
- Girls are sexually abused 3 times more often than boys. [6]
- 1 out of every 4 girls, and 1 out of every 6 boys are sexually abused by the age of 18 years old. [8]
- Women sexually abused before age 18 have lower levels of interpersonal functions and social adjustments as adults and are less likely to form trusting relationships. [1]
- More than half of the child victims of rape or sexual assault are age 11 or younger. [4]
- For mothers who were age 15 at the time their child was born, 39% of the fathers were age 10 or older. [10]
- Some 74% of women who had intercourse before age 14, and 60% of those who had sex before age 15, report having had sex involuntarily. [10]
Physical Neglect, Physical Abuse, and Emotional Maltreatment
- It is estimated that 8 out of every 1000 children experience some form of physical neglect. [1]
- A greater proportion of the victims of neglect and medical neglect were under 8 years of age. [1]
- The percentage of victims of neglect decreases with child age. While over half of the victims of neglect were under the age of 4, only 13% of the neglect victims were age 11 or older. [1]
- The percentage of the victims of physical, sexual and emotional maltreatment increases with the child’s age. While only 10% of all sexual abuse victims were under 4 years of age, 36% were age 11 or older. [1]
- Victims of emotional maltreatment are more likely to be females. Males are slightly more likely to be victims of other types of abuse.
Sources
[1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. (1998).
[2] Child Maltreatment 1996: Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office).
[3] Prevent Child Abuse America
[4] United States Department of Justice
[5] Andrew Vack, Attorney and Author, Parade Magazine, November 3, 1996.
[6] Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
[7] American Humane Society Children’s Division (May, 1997). Child Abuse and Neglect Data Fact Sheet. Englewood, CO.
[8] Prevent Child Abuse California
[9] Crime and Violence Prevention Center: Office of the Attorney General, Sacramento, CA.
[10] Alan Z Institute, Child Trends Inc.
Sacramento Statistics
The following was taken from the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services, Child Protective Services. Child Protective Services Statistics, January through September 1999. (1)
- In 1999, Sacramento County Child Protective Services Emergency Response In-take received an average of 4,529 telephone calls per month.
- On average, 1,543 referrals of alleged child abuse and/or neglect were made per month for the period of July – December 1999.
- The percentage of child abuse reports (referrals) by type of allegation for the period of July – December 1999:
- 9.0% Caretaker Absence/Incapacity
- 2.9% At Risk, but not Abused
- During the six-month period of July – December 1999, CPS responded to 9,192 reports of alleged child abuse and neglect. Of those reports, 1,957 (21.3%) required an immediate response; 3,993 (43.4%) required a 10-day response; and 3,242 (35.3%) were referred to another service provider.
- Out of the 13,132 allegations of child abuse during the six-month period of July – December 1999, 34.1% were substantiated, 49.4% were inconclusive, and 16.4% were unfounded.
- During the period of January – December 1999, 3,867 children were placed in protective custody. During that same period, 452 were returned home, and 436 adoptions were finalized.
- Sacramento CPS employs 909.7 full time equivalent staff.
The following statistics and findings are taken from the Sacramento County Child Death Review Team 1998 Annual Report.(2) For More information about the Child Death Review Team, call 916-568-2714 or by email at anakamur@cwnet.com
- There were a total of 165 child deaths accounted for in Sacramento County.
- In 1998, 7 children died as a result of child abuse and neglect.
- Children under five years of age are at the highest risk. Children under five account for just under one-third of Sacramento County’s population, yet they accounted for over two-thirds of all child deaths.
- Nearly half of the children who died faced disturbing risk factors. In 1997, 51% and in 1998, 44 percent of the children in 1998 who died, lived in environments where one or more risk factors were present. Those risk factors include:
- History of Abuse and Neglect
- Caretakers not married to each other
- Most likely to be on public assistance
- Substance abuse was the leading factor found in 1 out of 4 homes of the children that died. Substance abuse was a risk factor in 43 deaths, or 26 percent of all child deaths.
- One out of 10 children who died lived in environments where domestic violence was a factor. Domestic violence was a factor in 20 homes, or 12 percent of all child deaths.
- 22 deaths” were judged to involve “questionable circumstances.” These deaths included some element of neglect and/or poor judgement skills on the part of the caretaker.
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) was the number one cause of death for infants aged 1 month to 1 year. SIDS accounted for a total of 18 deaths, or 11% of all child deaths. Two-thirds of the SIDS deaths occurred within the first four month of life.
- Most of the children who died in 1998, perished from peri-natal conditions. A significant number of their mothers received little or no medical care during their pregnancies, which suggests that these deaths may have been preventable.
- A total of 11 deaths, or 7% of all child deaths involved motor vehicles. For each motor vehicle fatality, 16 children were hospitalized due to injuries from vehicle accidents.
- The number of suicides among children and adolescents doubled in Sacramento County from 4 in 1996 to 8 in 1998. Two of the children who killed themselves were only 11 years of age.
- Three of the deaths involved infants who were found trapped and suffocated between an adult bed and a wall.
- The eight leading causes of death were:
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Sources
[1] Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services, Child Protective Services. Child Protective Services Statistics, January, through September 1999.
[2] Sacramento County Child Death Review Team 1998 Annual Report.
