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Child Maltreatment 2005 : Summary of Key Findings
Numbers and Trends

Author(s):  Child Welfare Information Gateway

Year Published:  2007

This factsheet presents excerpts from Child Maltreatment 2005, a report based on data submissions by State child protective services (CPS) agencies for Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005. The full Child Maltreatment 2005 report is available on the Children's Bureau website: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm05/index.htm

Limited print copies are available from Child Welfare Information Gateway.

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How many children were reported and investigated for abuse and neglect?

During Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005, an estimated 3.3 million referrals, involving the alleged maltreatment of approximately 6.0 million children, were made to CPS agencies. The increase of approximately 73,000 children who received an investigation during FFY 2005, compared to FFY 2004, is largely due to the inclusion of data from Alaska and Puerto Rico for FFY 2005. An estimated 3.6 million children in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico received investigations by CPS agencies.

• A majority (62.1%) of referrals were screened in for investigation or assessment by CPS agencies.
• Approximately 30 percent (28.5%) of the reports included at least one child who was found to be a victim of abuse or neglect.
• About 60 percent (60.3%) of the reports were found to be unsubstantiated; about 25 percent (25.2%) of the reports were substantiated.

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Who reported child maltreatment?

For FFY 2005, more than one-half of all reports (55.8%) of alleged child abuse or neglect were made by professionals. They were primarily made by educators, police and lawyers, and social services staff. The remaining reports were made by nonprofessionals, including friends, neighbors, and relatives.

• Approximately two-thirds of substantiated or indicated reports were made by professional sources.

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Who were the child victims?

During FFY 2005, an estimated 899,000 children in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect. The increase of approximately 20,000 victims in FFY 2005, compared to FFY 2004, is largely due to the inclusion of data from Alaska and Puerto Rico for FFY 2005. Among the children confirmed as victims by CPS agencies in FFY 2005:

• Children in the age group of birth to 3 years had the highest rate of victimization at 16.5 per 1,000 children of the same age group in the national population.
• More than one-half of the victims were 7 years old or younger (54.5%).
• More than one-half of the child victims were girls (50.7%) and 47.3 percent were boys.
• Approximately one-half of all victims were White (49.7%); one-quarter (23.1%) were African-American; and 17.4 percent were Hispanic.

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What were the most common types of maltreatment?

As in prior years, neglect was the most common form of child maltreatment. CPS investigations determined the following:

• More than 60 percent (62.8%) of victims suffered neglect.
• More than 15 percent (16.6%) of the victims suffered physical abuse.
• Less than 10 percent (9.3%) of the victims suffered sexual abuse.
• Less than 10 percent (7.1%) of the victims suffered from emotional maltreatment.

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How many children died from abuse or neglect?

Child fatalities are the most tragic consequence of maltreatment. Yet, each year children die from abuse and neglect. During FFY 2005:

• An estimated 1,460 children died due to child abuse or neglect.
• The overall rate of child fatalities was 1.96 deaths per 100,000 children.
• More than 40 percent (42.2%) of child fatalities were attributed to neglect; physical abuse also was a major contributor to child fatalities.
• More than three-quarters (76.6%) of the children who died due to child abuse and neglect were younger than 4 years old.
• Infant boys (younger than 1 year) had the highest rate of fatalities, at 17.3 deaths per 100,000 boys of the same age in the national population.
• Infant girls had a rate of 14.5 deaths per 100,000 girls of the same age.

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Who is responsible for the abuse and neglect?

In FFY 2005, more than three-quarters of perpetrators of child maltreatment (79.4%) were parents, and another 6.8 percent were other relatives of the victim. Unrelated caregivers (foster parents, residential facility staff, child daycare providers, and legal guardians) accounted for less than 10.1 percent of perpetrators. Women comprised a larger percentage of all perpetrators than men, 57.8 percent compared to 42.2 percent. More than three-fourths of all perpetrators were younger than age 40.

• Of the perpetrators who maltreated children, less than 8 percent (7.7%) committed sexual abuse, while 61.0 percent committed neglect.
• Of the perpetrators who were parents, more than 90 percent (90.6%) were the biological parents, 4.3 percent were the stepparents, and 0.7 percent were the adoptive parents of the victim. The parental relationship was unknown for 4.5 percent of the victims.

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Who received services?

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

• Sixty percent (60.4%) of victims and 26.9 percent of nonvictims received services.
• Less than 22 percent (21.7%) of victims and 4.5 percent of nonvictims were placed in foster care.

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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.

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Updated on February 27, 2008