15-33. Reduce maltreatment and maltreatment fatalities of children.

15-33a. Reduce maltreatment of children. Target: 11.1 per 1,000 children under age 18 years. Baseline: 13.9 child victims of maltreatment per 1,000 children under age 18 years in 1997. Target setting method: 20 percent improvement. (Better than the best will be used when data are available.) Data source: National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Children's Bureau.

Data for population groups currently are not analyzed.


15-33b. Reduce child maltreatment fatalities.

Target: 1.5 per 100,000 of children under age 18 years.

Baseline: 1.7 per 100,000 child maltreatment fatalities in 1997.

Target setting method: 12 percent improvement. (Better than the best will be used when data are available.)

Data source: National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), Children's Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

Data for population groups currently are not analyzed.

The 1997 Child Maltreatment report from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System found there were approximately 984,000 victims of maltreatment, a decrease from more than 1 million victims in 1996 in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. The rate of child victims was 13.9 per 1,000 children in the general population in 1997, which is slightly higher than the rate of 13.4 victims per 1,000 children in 1990. There were an estimated 1,196 fatalities due to child maltreatment in the 50 States and the District of Columbia. The findings regarding the types of maltreatment were as follows: 55.9 percent neglect, 24.6 percent physical abuse, 12.5 percent sexual abuse, and 6.1 percent emotional abuse. It is also important to note that 58.8 percent of the substantiated or indicated reports of maltreatment were from professional sources, legal, medical, social service, or education professionals. Based on data from 39 States, 75.4 percent of the perpetrators were the victim's parents, 10.2 percent were relatives, and 1.9 percent were individuals in other caretaking relationships.(63)

Information needs to be collected about new cases and causes of maltreatment. National surveys of new cases are needed to describe the magnitude of the problem. In addition, existing interventions and their impact need to be evaluated. Some long-term studies on home-visitation programs for young mothers have shown potential for preventing child abuse and neglect.

Read Operational Definition for 15-38a

Read Operational Definition for 15.38b

Read Overview of Injuries

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Last modified: 22-Aug-2001.