Child Welfare Outcomes 2000:
Annual Report
Appendix C: Highlights of Findings From
Child Maltreatment 2000
Children's Bureau Administration on Children, Youth and Families
National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System
(NCANDS)
Summary of Key Findings from Calendar Year 2000
April 2002
The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) was developed by the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Human Services in partnership with the States to collect annual statistics on child maltreatment from State child protective services agencies. This summary of key findings presents highlights based on data submissions by the States for calendar year 2000.
INVESTIGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
• In 2000, three million referrals concerning the welfare
of approximately five million children were made to CPS agencies
throughout the United States. Of these, approximately two-thirds
(62%) were screened in; one-third (38%) were screened out.
Screened-in referrals alleging that a child was being abused or
neglected received investigations or assessments to determine
whether the allegations of maltreatment could be substantiated.
Some of the screened-out reports were referred to the attention of
other service agencies.
• Professionals, including teachers, law enforcement officers,
social services workers, and physicians, made more than half (56%)
of the screened-in reports. Others, including family members,
neighbors, and other members of the community, made the remaining
44 percent of screened-in referrals.
• Almost one-third of investigations or assessments (32%)
resulted in a finding that the child was maltreated or at risk of
maltreatment. The remaining investigations resulted in a finding
that the maltreatment did not occur, the child was not at risk of
maltreatment, or there was insufficient information to make a
determination.
VICTIMS OF MALTREATMENT
• Approximately 879,000 children were found to be victims
of child maltreatment. Maltreatment categories typically include
neglect, medical neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and
psychological maltreatment. Almost two-thirds of child victims
(63%) suffered neglect (including medical neglect); 19 percent were
physically abused; 10 percent were sexually abused; and 8 percent
were psychologically maltreated.
• The rate of child victims per 1,000 children in the
population had been decreasing steadily from 15.3 victims per 1,000
children in the population in 1993 to 11.8 victims per 1,000
children in the population in 1999. The victimization rate
increased slightly to 12.2 per 1,000 children in the year 2000.
Whether or not this is a trend cannot be determined until
additional data are collected.
Victimization rates declined as age increased. The rate of
victimization for children in the age group of birth to 3 years old
was 15.7 victims per 1,000 children of the same age. The rate of
victimization for children ages 16 and 17 was 5.7 victims per 1,000
children of the same age in the population.
• Victimization rates were similar for male and female victims
(11.2 and 12.8 per 1,000 children respectively) except for victims
of sexual abuse. The rate for sexual abuse was 1.7 victims per
1,000 female children compared to 0.4 victims per 1,000 male
children.
More than half of all victims were White (51%); a quarter (25%)
were African American; 15 percent were Hispanic. American
Indian/Alaska Natives accounted for 2 percent of victims, and
Asian/Pacific Islanders accounted for 1 percent of victims.1
PERPETRATORS
• Most States define perpetrators of child abuse or neglect
as parents and other caretakers, such as relatives, babysitters,
and foster parents, who have maltreated a child. Sixty percent of
perpetrators were females and 40 percent were males. The median age
of female perpetrators was 31 years; the median age of male
perpetrators was 34 years.
• More than 80 percent of victims (84%) were abused by a
parent or parents. Mothers acting alone were responsible for 47
percent of neglect victims and 32 percent of physical abuse
victims. Nonrelatives, fathers acting alone, and other relatives
were responsible for 29 percent, 22 percent and 19 percent,
respectively, of sexual abuse victims.
FATALITIES
• Child fatalities are the most tragic consequence of
maltreatment. Approximately 1,200 children died of abuse or neglect
in the year 2000-a rate of 1.71 children per 100,000 children in
the population. The increase in the rate of fatalities compared to
earlier years is hypothesized to be largely attributable to
improved reporting.2
• Youngest children were the most vulnerable. Children younger
than one year old accounted for 44 percent of child fatalities and
85 percent of child fatalities were younger than 6 years of
age.
SERVICES
• Services to prevent the abuse or neglect of children were
provided by various State and local agencies to an estimated three
million children. Because of the difficulties in collecting these
data, this may be an undercount.
• More than half of the child victims (55% or an estimated
478,000) received services-including about one-fifth of all victims
who were removed from their homes and placed in foster care-as a
result of the investigation or assessment conducted by the child
protective services agency. In addition, approximately one-fifth of
children who were not found to be victims of maltreatment (19% or
an estimated 385,000 children) also received services.
SUMMARY
• Child abuse and neglect continues to be a significant problem in the United States. These statistics can help us understand the scope of the problem, who is affected, and what type of services are being provided by State and local agencies.
1 The percentages do not add to
100% due to missing data. Back
2 Child fatality estimates are
based on data recorded by CPS agencies or such other agencies as
the coroner's office or fatality review boards as to factors
leading to the death of a child. Reported deaths may have not yet
been the subject of court proceedings to determine the cause of
death. Back
