CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
In 2000, investigations by state child protective
services agencies determined that an estimated 879,000
children were victims of abuse or neglect, equivalent
to a rate of 12.2 per 1,000 children under 18 years
of age. Seventy-nine percent of the perpetrators of
child maltreatment were the parents of the victim.
Approximately 63 percent of all victims suffered
neglect, 19 percent physical abuse, 10 percent sexual
abuse, 8 percent psychological maltreatment, and 17
percent other forms of maltreatment. Some children
suffered multiple types of maltreatment. Data from
15 states show that children with a history of maltreatment
prior to 2000 were nearly three times as likely to
experience a recurrence during the 6 months following
their first 2000 victimization than children without
a prior history.
Victimization is highest among the youngest children.
In 2000, the victimization rate for children ages
0 to 3 was 15.7 per 1,000, compared to 5.7 per 1,000
among children age 16 to 17. Among the estimated 1,200
children who died of abuse and neglect in 2000, children
younger than one year accounted for 44 percent of
fatalities and children younger than 6 years accounted
for 85 percent. Fatalities were more often associated
with neglect (35 percent) than with any other type
of maltreatment.
State child protective services received reports
alleging the maltreatment of approximately 3 million
children in 2000. Over half of these reports were
received from community professionals, while the remainder
were received from family, friends, relatives, or
neighbors of these children.
The data were obtained from the National Child Abuse
and Neglect Data System, the primary source of national
information on abused and neglected children known
to state child protective services agencies.
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