FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS

What is child abuse?
Child abuse is any mistreatment or neglect of a child that results in non-accidental harm or injury and which cannot be reasonably explained . Child abuse can include: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.

How many children are reported and investigated for abuse or neglect?
In 2001, Child Protective Service (CPS) agencies investigated more than 3.25 million reports of child abuse and neglect throughout the United States. This is an increase of 2 percent from the previous year. Teachers, law enforcement officers, social service workers and physicians made 56 percent of the reports.

How Many children are victims of maltreatment?
In 2001, CPS agencies determined approximately 1.1 million children were victims of substantiated or indicated child abuse and neglect. The term "substantiated" means that an allegation of maltreatment was confirmed according to the level of evidence required by the State law or State policy. The term "indicated" is an investigation finding used by some States when there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a case under State law or policy, but there is reason to suspect that maltreatment occurred or that there is risk of future maltreatment.

Is the number of abused or neglected children increasing?
Nationally, the number of victims of substantiated or indicated maltreatment decreased between 1996 and 1997, from slightly over one million (1,030,751) to just under one million (984,000) Previously, the rate of maltreatment had been on the increase between 1990 and 1996, with an overall increase for that period of 18 percent.

What are the most common types of maltreatment?
Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment. CPS investigations determine that 63 percent of victims in 2001 suffered neglect; 19 percent, physical abuse; 10 percent, sexual abuse; and 8 percent, emotional maltreatment.

How many children die each year from child abuse?
Based on data reported by CPS agencies in 2001, it is estimated that nationwide, 2,000 children died as a result of abuse or neglect. based on this number, five to six children die each day as a result of child abuse or neglect. Of these fatalities, 85 percent were children younger than six-years-old at the time of their death, and 44 percent were under the age of one.

Who abuses and neglects children?
In 2001, 60 percent of the perpetrators were female with an average age of 31, and 40 percent were male with an average age of 34.

Approximately 84 percent were abused by a parent; Mothers alone were responsible for 47 percent of neglect and 32 percent of the physical abuse.

More than half of all victim were White, 51%; 28% were African American; 18% were Hispanic; 2 % were American Indian/Alaska Natives; and 1% were Asian/Pacific Islanders.

What makes people abuse children?
It is difficult to imagine that any person would intentionally inflict harm on a child. Many times, physical abuse is a result of excessive discipline or physical punishment that is inappropriate for the child's age. The parent may simply be unaware of the magnitude of force with which he or she strikes a child. Most parents want to be good parents but sometimes lose control and are unable to cope.

Factors which contribute to child abuse include the immaturity of parents, lack of parenting skills, unrealistic expectations about children's behavior and capabilities, a parent's own negative childhood experience, social isolation, frequent family crises and drug or alcohol problems. Child abuse is a symptom that parents are having difficulty coping with their situation.

Are victims of child abuse more likely to engage in criminality later in life?
According to a 1992 study sponsored by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), maltreatment in childhood increases the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 53 percent, as an adult by 38 percent, and for a violent crime by 38 percent. Being abused or neglected in childhood increases the likelihood of arrest for females by 77 percent. A related 1995 NIJ report indicated that children who were sexually abuse were 28 times more likely than a control group of nonabused children to be arrested for prostitution as an adult.

Is there any evidence linking alcohol or other drug use to child maltreatment?
A study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that children of substance-abusing parents were almost three times likelier to be abused and more than four times likelier to be neglected than children of parents who are not substance abusers. Other studies suggest that an estimated 50 percent to 80 percent of all child abuse cases substantiated by CPS involve some degree of substance abuse by the child's parents.