National Center for Victims of Crime December 12, 2006 <http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbName=DocumentViewer&DocumentID=38709>
CHILD MALTREATMENT
- Child protective services across the country found an estimated 896,000 children to be victims of maltreatment (neglect or abuse).8
- Sixty-one percent of child maltreatment victims suffered neglect; 19 percent were physically abused; 10 percent were sexually abused; and 7 percent were emotionally or psychologically maltreated. In addition, 18.9 percent of victims experienced "other" types of maltreatment such as "abandonment," "threats of harm to the child," and "congenital drug addiction."9
- Fifty-two percent of child maltreatment victims were girls and 48 percent were boys.10
- More than one-half of all child victims were white (54 percent); one-quarter (26 percent) were African-American; and one-tenth (11 percent) were Hispanic. American Indians or Alaska Natives accounted for 2 percent of victims, and Asian-Pacific Islanders accounted for 1 percent of victims.11
- Approximately 40 percent of child victims were maltreated solely by their mothers; another 19 percent were maltreated solely by their fathers; 18 percent were abused by both parents. Child victims abused by a non-parental perpetrator accounted for 13 percent of the total.12
- The youngest children (from birth through age 3) were the most likely to experience recurring maltreatment.13
- Children abused by someone other than a parent were 16 percent less likely to experience recurrence than children who were abused by their mother.14
- Victimization rates are inversely proportional to the age of the child--the older the child, the less likely he or she is to be maltreated.15
- In 2002, an estimated 1,400 children died due to child abuse or neglect.16
- Five percent of child molesters released from prison commit a new sex offense within three years of their release.17
- Twenty-nine children were murdered by their babysitters in 2003.18
- Victims of child abuse comprised 21 percent of the recipients of crime victim compensation in 2003.19
- The most significant predictor of whether a battered woman will physically abuse her child is having been physically abused by her own mother-not being battered by her partner.20
My Notes
- 896,000 children maltreated is way to many.
- Children do not deserve to be mistreated and they do not deserve to lose trust in their elders.
- Only 13% of these accounts were committed by non-parental figures. This should say something about our society today. families abusing their children? In my mind that is one of the most disturbing issues in our country.
- Children from birth to age 3 are most likely to experience recurring maltreatment. This is even worse because those children grow up knowing nothing but abuse.
- Due to age, the older the child is the less likely they are to be maltreated.
- Just in the year 2002, 1,400 children died from abuse. That was 4 years ago and now the rates are more than likely a lot higher.
- In 2003 29 children were murdered...by their baby-sitters. I bet that is a disturbing thought for parents. Imagine coming home from a night out with your husband or wife and finding your child dead and later finding out your baby-sitter did it. I wouldn't ever leave the house without my children again.
