Abuse and Neglect of American Children
Startling Statistics of Children Harmed by Adults
Apr 22, 2009
The headlines in the news can be frightening with stories of harm wrought on children. However, these news items barely scrape the surface as to actual damage being done to children in the United States at the hands of their abusers.
According to recent statistics, {U.S. Dept HHS, Admin, Children, Youth and Families, "Child Maltreatment, 2007," Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2009} the following apply:
A large percentage of victimization falls under the category of neglect, followed by physical and sexual abuse:
Number of Children Abused
- 794,000 children were victims of maltreatment. The rate of victimization was 10.6 per 1,000 children in the population.
- 59.0% of victims experienced neglect.
- 10.8% were physically abused
- 7.6% were sexually abused.
- 4.2% were psychologically maltreated.
- >1% were medically neglected.
- 13.1% experienced multiple maltreatment
The age of the child group is inversely related to maltreatment. Abuse divided by gender was almost evenly split:
Victimization by Age and Sex
- 31.9 percent of victims were younger than 4 years old
- 23.8 percent were 4–7 years
- 19.0 percent were 8–11 years
- 18.5 percent were 12-15 years
- 6.1 percent were 16-17 years
- 48.2 percent were boys
- 51.5 percent were girls
The largest number of child fatalities by abuse or neglect was the age group of younger than four years old. A third of those were attributed to neglect only.
Child Fatality Secondary to Abuse
- An estimated 1,760 children died due to child abuse or neglect.
- The overall rate was 2.35 deaths per 100,000 children.
- 34.1% were attributed to neglect only; physical abuse also was a major contributor.
- 75.7% of the children were younger than 4 years old.
While an assumption might be made that children are frequently abused by people they don't know, an overwhelming number of children are victimized by one or both parents, with women abusing only slightly more than men.
Perpetrators of Child Abuse
- Nearly 80 percent of perpetrators were parents of the victim.
- 56.5 percent were women, 42.4 percent were men.
- The median age was 30 years for women and 33 years for men.
- Other relatives accounted for an additional 6.6 percent.
- Unmarried partners of parents accounted for 4.5 percent.
The statistics listed above are not comprehensive, however, the numbers themselves are strong enough to indicate the abuse and neglect of children is acutely and chronically problematic. What is required is attention as well as solutions.
While there are no easy answers, there are organizations designed to provide information on the recognition, prevention and halting of abuse. The sources below present solid information and further resources. Arming yourself with information is an important first step.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/
Friends of Child Abuse Prevention, www.friendsofchildabuseprevention.com/howhelp.htm
Stop Child Sexual Abuse Now, http://www.stopcsa.org/
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