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Home > Child Maltreatment 2007: Summary of Key Findings
Child Maltreatment 2007: Summary of Key Findings
Numbers and Trends
This factsheet presents excerpts from Child Maltreatment 2007, a report based on data submissions by State child protective services (CPS) agencies for Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2007. The full Child Maltreatment 2007 report is available on the Children's Bureau website: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm07/index.htm How many children were reported and received an investigation or assessment for abuse and neglect? During FFY 2007, an estimated 3.2 million referrals, involving the alleged maltreatment of approximately 5.8 million children, were made to CPS agencies. An estimated 3.5 million children received an investigation or assessment.
Who reported child maltreatment? For FFY 2007, more than one-half (57.7 percent) of all reports of alleged child abuse or neglect were made by professionals. The term "professional" means that the person had contact with the alleged child maltreatment victim as part of the report source's job. The remaining reports were made by nonprofessionals, including friends, neighbors, sports coaches, and relatives. The three most common report sources were teachers (17.0 percent), lawyers or police officers (16.3 percent), and social services staff (10.2 percent). Who were the child victims? During FFY 2007, an estimated 794,000 children were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect. Among the children confirmed as victims by CPS agencies in 2007:
What were the most common types of maltreatment? As in prior years, neglect was the most common form of child maltreatment. CPS investigations determined that:
How many children died from abuse or neglect? Child fatalities are the most tragic consequence of maltreatment. During FFY 2007:
Who abused and neglected children? In FFY 2007, nearly 80 percent (79.9 percent) of perpetrators of child maltreatment were parents, and another 6.6 percent were other relatives of the victim. Women comprised a larger percentage of all perpetrators than men, 56.5 percent compared to 42.4 percent. Nearly 75 percent (74.8 percent) of all perpetrators were younger than age 40.
Who received services? During an investigation, CPS agencies provide services to children and their families, both in the home and in foster care.
The statistics in the Child Maltreatment reports are based on data submitted to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). NCANDS is a voluntary reporting system that was developed by the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collect and analyze annual statistics on child maltreatment from State CPS agencies.
1 The NCANDS disposition category of "alternative response victim" is defined as a conclusion that the child was identified as a victim when a response other than an investigation was provided. back This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
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