Child Maltreatment

Child Maltreatment




OF

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U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Children’s Bureau

R E POR

T

Summary

Summary

 

Summary

ix

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Child Maltreatment 2007

Summary
Overview

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Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a

All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the

parent or caretaker which results in death, seri-

U.S. Territories have mandatory child abuse

ous physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse

and neglect reporting laws that require certain
professionals and institutions to report suspected
maltreatment to a child protective services (CPS)

or exploitation; or
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An act or failure to act which presents an
imminent risk of serious harm.

agency. Examples of these mandatory reporters
include health care providers and facilities,

Within the minimum standards set by CAPTA,

mental health care providers, teachers and other

each State is responsible for providing its own

school staff, social workers, police officers,

definitions of child abuse and neglect. Most

foster care providers, and daycare providers. The

States recognize four major types of maltreat-

initial report of suspected child abuse or neglect

ment: neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse,

is called a referral. Approximately one-third of

and psychological maltreatment. Although any

referrals are screened out each year and do not

of the forms of child maltreatment may be found

receive further attention from CPS. The remaining

separately, they also can occur in combination.

referrals are “screened in” and an investigation

occurred or that the child is at risk of maltreat-

What is the National Child
Abuse and Neglect Data
System (NCANDS)?

ment. After conducting interviews with family

NCANDS is a federally sponsored effort that

members, the alleged victim, and other people

collects and analyzes annual data on child abuse

familiar with the family, the CPS agency makes a

and neglect. The 1988 CAPTA directed the U.S.

determination or finding concerning whether the

Department of Health and Human Services to

child is a victim of abuse or neglect or is at risk

establish a national data collection and analysis

of abuse or neglect. This determination often

program. The Children’s Bureau in the Administra-

is called a disposition. Each State establishes

tion on Children, Youth and Families, Administra-

specific dispositions and terminology.

tion for Children and Families, U.S. Department

or assessment is conducted by the CPS agency
to determine the likelihood that maltreatment has

of Health and Human Services, collects and
Each State has its own definitions of child abuse

analyzes the data.

and neglect based on minimum standards set by
Federal law. Federal legislation provides a founda-

The data are submitted voluntarily by the States,

tion for States by identifying a minimum set of acts

the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth

or behaviors that define child abuse and neglect.

of Puerto Rico. The first report from NCANDS was

The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment

based on data for 1990; the report for 2007 data

Act (CAPTA), (42 U.S.C.A. §5106g), as amended by

is the 18th issuance of this annual publication.

the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003,
defines child abuse and neglect as:

 

Summary

xi

How are the data used?

maltreatment of approximately 5.8 million

NCANDS data are used for the annual report,

children, were referred to CPS agencies.

Child Maltreatment, which is published each
year. In addition, data collected by NCANDS

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or assessment by CPS agencies.

publications, reports, and activities of the
Federal Government and other groups. Data

Approximately 62 percent (61.7%) of
referrals were screened in for investigation

are a critical source of information for many
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Approximately 25 (25.2%) percent of the

from NCANDS are used in the Child and Family

investigations or assessments determined

Services Reviews of the States, in the Child

at least one child who was found to be a

Welfare Outcomes: Report to Congress, and in

victim of abuse or neglect with the fol-

the Program Assessment Rating Tool.

lowing report dispositions: 24.1 percent
substantiated, 0.6 percent indicated, and

What data are collected?
NCANDS collects case-level data on all

0.5 percent alternative response victim.
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More than 74 percent of the investigations

children who received an investigation or

or assessments determined that the child

assessment by a CPS agency. States that

was not a victim of maltreatment with

are unable to provide case-level data submit

the following dispositions: 61.3 percent

aggregated counts of key indicators.

unsubstantiated, 6.1 percent alternative
response nonvictim, 5.7 percent “other,”

Case-level data include information on the

1.6 percent closed with no finding, and

characteristics of referrals of abuse or neglect

0.0 percent intentionally false.

that are made to CPS agencies, the children
alleged, the dispositions (or findings) of the

Who reported
child maltreatment?

investigations, the risk factors of the child and

For 2007, more than one-half (57.7%) of all

the caregivers, the services that are provided,

reports of alleged child abuse or neglect were

and the perpetrators.

made by professionals. The term professional

referred, the types of maltreatment that are

means that the person had contact with the

Where are the data available?

alleged child maltreatment victim as part of

Restricted usage files of State case-level data

the report source’s job. This term includes

are available for researchers from the National

teachers, police officers, lawyers, and social

Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect at

services staff. The remaining reports were

www.ndacan.cornell.edu. In addition, aggre-

made by nonprofessionals, including friends,

gated counts of key indicators by State are

neighbors, sports coaches, and relatives.

available for 1990–2007.
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The three largest percentages of report

The Child Maltreatment reports are available

sources were from such professionals as

on the Internet at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/

teachers (17.0%), lawyers or police officers

programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can.

(16.3%), and social services staff (10.2%).

How many children were
reported and received an
investigation or assessment
for abuse and neglect?

Who were the child victims?

During Federal fiscal year 2007, an estimated

victims by CPS agencies in 2007:

3.2 million referrals, involving the alleged

xii Child Maltreatment 2007

During 2007, an estimated 794,000 children
were determined to be victims of abuse or
neglect. Among the children confirmed as

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Children in the age group of birth to 1 year

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had the highest rate of victimization at

highest rate of fatalities, at 18.85 deaths

21.9 per 1,000 children of the same age

per 100,000 boys of the same age in the

group in the national population;
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Infant boys (younger than 1 year) had the

More than one-half of the child victims

national population; and
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were girls (51.5%) and 48.2 percent were

Infant girls had a rate of 15.39 deaths per
100,000 girls of the same age.

boys; and
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White (46.1%), 21.7 percent were African-

Who abused and
neglected children?

American, and 20.8 percent were Hispanic.

In 2007, nearly 80 percent of perpetrators

Approximately one-half of all victims were

of child maltreatment (79.9%) were parents,

What were the most common
types of maltreatment?

and another 6.6 percent were other relatives

As in prior years, neglect was the most

percentage of all perpetrators than men, 56.5

common form of child maltreatment. CPS

percent compared to 42.4 percent. Nearly

investigations determined that:

75 percent (74.8%) of all perpetrators were

of the victim. Women comprised a larger

younger than age 40.
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Nearly 60 percent (59.0%) of victims
suffered neglect;

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Of the perpetrators who were child daycare

More than 10 percent (10.8%) of the

providers, nearly 24 percent (23.9%) com-

victims suffered physical abuse;

mitted sexual abuse.

Less than 10 percent (7.6%) of the victims

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Of the perpetrators who were parents,

suffered sexual abuse; and

nearly 90 percent (87.7%) were the biologi-

Less than 5 percent (4.2%) of the victims

cal parent of the victim.

suffered from psychological maltreatment.

How many children died
from abuse or neglect?
Child fatalities are the most tragic conse-

Who received services?
During an investigation, CPS agencies provide
services to children and their families, both in
the home and in foster care.

quence of maltreatment. Yet, each year
children die from abuse and neglect.

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More than 60 percent (62.1%) of victims
and 31.2 percent of nonvictms received

During 2007:

postinvestigation services.
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An estimated 1,760 children died due to

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More than 20 percent (20.7%) of victims

child abuse or neglect;

and 3.8 percent of nonvictims were placed

The overall rate of child fatalities was

in foster care.

2.35 deaths per 100,000 children;
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More than 30 percent (34.1%) of child
fatalities were attributed to neglect only;
physical abuse also was a major contributor to child fatalities;

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More than three-quarters (75.7%) of the
children who died due to child abuse and
neglect were younger than 4 years old;

 

Summary xiii