Child fatalities are the most serious result of child
maltreatment and are of considerable concern to CPS agencies and
the public. Reporting data on these cases is complicated by
difficulties in identifying such cases and by the fragmented system
of maintaining automated data among many agencies. The fatality
numbers in this report include primarily those victims known to
State CPS agencies either prior to or as a result of the death of a
child.
6.1 Number of Child Fatalities
(SDC)
Forty-one States reported that there were 967 child maltreatment
fatalities in 1997. Based on these numbers, it was estimated that
there were 1,196 fatalities in the 50 States and the District of
Columbia, a rate of 1.7 children per 100,000 children in the
general population or 123 child fatalities per 100,000 victims of
maltreatment.
6.2 Sex and Age of Child Fatality
Victims (DCDC)
The 317 fatalities reported to the DCDC represented about one-third
of all fatalities reported to the SDC. The DCDC data indicate that
children 3 and younger accounted for 77.0 percent of the
fatalities. Of those fatalities, 56.6 percent were male and 43.4
percent were female (table 61)
6.3 Child Fatalities in Foster
Care (SDC)
Twenty-three States indicated that no fatalities took place in
foster care. Four reported one foster care fatality; two reported
two such fatalities; and two reported three fatalities. Of the
total child fatalities in these States, 14 (2.1 percent) occurred
while the victims were in foster care.
6.4 Child Fatalities Who Had
Received Family Preservation Services (SDC)
Of 18 reporting States, 8 indicated that no families of fatality
victims had received family preservation services in the past 5
years. In the remaining 10 States, the number of fatality victims
whose families had received such services in the past 5 years
ranged from 1 to 20. Overall, 64 victims (16.3 percent) were in
families receiving family preservation services in the past 5 years
(appendix E, table E14).
6.5 Child Fatalities Who Had
Received Family Reunification Services (SDC)
Twelve States reported that no fatality victims had been reunited
with their families in the prior 5 years. In six States, the number
of fatality victims in reunited families ranged from one to three.
Overall, 10 fatality victims (2.7 percent) reported by these 18
States were in families that had been reunited in the prior 5 years
(appendix E, table E14).
Table 61 Child Fatality Victims by Sex and Age (DCDC)
| Age | Sex | Total | ||
| Male | Female | |||
|
0-3 |
Count | 138 | 106 | 244 |
| % within Child Age | 56.6% | 43.4% | 100.0% | |
| % within Child Sex | 77.1% | 76.8% | 77.0% | |
| 4-7 | Count | 23 | 18 | 41 |
| % within Child Age | 56.1% | 43.9% | 100.0% | |
| % within Child Sex | 12.8% | 13.0% | 12.9% | |
| 8-11 | Count | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| % within Child Age | 64.3% | 35.7% | 100.0% | |
| % within Child Sex | 5.0% | 3.6% | 4.4% | |
| 12-15 | Count | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| % within Child Age | 63.6% | 36.4% | 100.0% | |
| % within Child Sex | 3.9% | 2.9% | 3.5% | |
| 16+ | Count | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| % within Child Age | 28.6% | 71.4% | 100.0% | |
| % within Child Sex | 1.1% | 3.6% | 2.2% | |
| Total | Count | 179 | 138 | 317 |
| % within Child Age | 56.5% | 43.5% | 100.0% | |
| % within Child Sex | 100.0% | 100.0% | ||
