SDC data describe perpetrators relationships to
victims. DCDC case-level data describe the age and sex of
perpetrators. In general, States follow Federal guidelines for
defining a child abuse or neglect perpetrator. Under those
guidelines, a perpetrator must be in a caretaking relationship to
the abused or neglected child.
7.1 Relationship of Perpetrators to Victims (SDC)
Based on data from 39 States, 401,598 perpetrators (75.4 percent) were victims parents, and 54,573 (10.2 percent) were other relatives; 9,646 perpetrators (1.8 percent) were people in other caretaking relationships (e.g., foster parents, facility staff, and child care providers); and 66,915 perpetrators (12.6 percent) were noncaretakers or had an "unknown" relationship with the victim (figure 71).
Figure 71 Perpetrators by Relationship to Child Victims, 1997 (SDC)
N=532,732 victims in 39 States.
7.2 Age and Sex of Perpetrators (DCDC)
DCDC data reveal that 184,152 perpetrators (62.3 percent) were female, and 111,473 (37.7 percent) were male (table 71). Perpetrators tended to be young, with 237,865 (80.5 percent) younger than 40 years old. Of the perpetrators, 122,569 (41.5 percent) were between 30 and 39 years old, the most frequent age category. Only 16,441 perpetrators (5.6 percent) were 50 years old or older, the least frequent age category.
Table 71 Perpetrators by Sex and Age (DCDC)
| Age | Sex | Total | ||
| Male | Female | |||
| 19 years or younger | Count | 9,177 | 9,882 | 19,059 |
| % within Age | 48.2% | 51.8% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 8.2% | 5.4% | 6.4% | |
| 20 to 29 years old | Count | 26,646 | 69,591 | 96,237 |
| % within Age | 27.7% | 72.3% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 23.9% | 37.8% | 32.6% | |
| 30 to 39 years old | Count | 45,958 | 76,611 | 122,569 |
| % within Age | 37.5% | 62.5% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 41.2% | 41.6% | 41.5% | |
| 40 to 49 years old | Count | 21,258 | 20,061 | 41,319 |
| % within Age | 51.4% | 48.6% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 19.1% | 10.9% | 14.0% | |
| 50 years old or older | Count | 8,434 | 8,007 | 16,441 |
| % within Age | 51.3% | 48.7% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 7.6% | 4.3% | 5.6% | |
| Total | Count | 111,473 | 184,152 | 295,625 |
| % within Age | 37.7% | 62.3% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | |
7.3 Type of Maltreatment and Sex of Perpetrators
(DCDC)
DCDC data show that male perpetrators were associated with 74.1
percent (15,606) of sexual abuse victims. Female perpetrators were
associated with 82.0 percent (4,716) of medical neglect victims and
73.9 percent (83,769) of neglect victims. Males and females were
each associated with approximately half of physical abuse and
psychological abuse victims (table
72).
7.4 Sex and Age of Fatality Perpetrators
(DCDC)
Fatality perpetrators were younger than all perpetrators (table 73). Two hundred thirty-five (67.7
percent) were 29 years old or younger, compared to 115,296 (39.0
percent) of all perpetrators. Of the perpetrators age 29 or
younger, 157 (66.8 percent) were female.
Table 72 Type of Maltreatment by Sex of Perpetrator (DCDC)
| Type of Maltreatment | Perpetrator Sex | Total | ||
| Male | Female | |||
| Physical Abuse | Count | 18,960 | 20,115 | 39,075 |
| % within Type of Maltreatment | 48.5% | 51.5% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 17.5% | 12.0% | 14.1% | |
| Neglect | Count | 29,587 | 83,769 | 113,356 |
| % within Type of Maltreatment | 26.1% | 73.9% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 27.4% | 49.8% | 41.0% | |
| Medical Neglect | Count | 1,035 | 4,716 | 5,751 |
| % within Type of Maltreatment | 18.0% | 82.0% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex |
1.0% |
2.8% |
2.1% |
|
| Sexual Abuse | Count | 15,606 | 5,453 | 21,059 |
| % within Type of Maltreatment | 74.1% | 25.9% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 14.4% | 3.2% | 7.6% | |
| Psychological Abuse | Count | 6,540 | 7,005 | 13,545 |
| % within Type of Maltreatment | 48.3% | 51.7% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 6.0% | 4.2% | 4.9% | |
| Other Abuse | Count | 14,511 | 18,355 | 32,866 |
| % within Type of Maltreatment |
44.2% | 55.8% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 13.4% | 10.9% | 11.9% | |
| Multiple Maltreatments | Count | 21,881 | 28,888 | 50,769 |
| % within Type of Maltreatment | 43.1% | 56.9% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 20.2% | 17.2% | 18.4% | |
| Total | Count | 108,120 | 168,301 | 276,421 |
| % within Type of Maltreatment | 39.1% | 60.9% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | |
Table 73 Perpetrators of Child Fatalities by Sex and Age (DCDC)
| Fatality Perpetrator Age | Perpetrator Sex | Total | ||
| Male | Female | |||
| 19 years or younger | Count | 15 | 30 | 45 |
| % within Age | 33.3% | 66.7% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 11.6% | 13.8% | 13.0% | |
| 20 to 29 years old | Count | 63 | 127 | 190 |
| % within Age | 33.2% | 66.8% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 48.8% | 58.3% | 54.8% | |
| 30 to 39 years old | Count | 26 | 30 | 56 |
| % within Age | 46.4% | 53.6% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 20.2% | 13.8% | 16.1% | |
| 40 to 49 years old | Count | 20 | 16 | 36 |
| % within Age | 55.6% | 44.4% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 15.5% | 7.3% | 10.4% | |
| 50 years old or older | Count | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| % within Age | 25.0% | 75.0% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 3.9% | 6.9% | 5.8% | |
| Total | Count | 129 | 218 | 347 |
| % within Age | 37.2% | 62.8% | 100.0% | |
| % within Sex | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | |
