National Child Abuse Statistics

By Phyllis Pyles

• An estimated 558,899 children were victims of child abuse and neglect in the US (2022)
• US Child Welfare authorities investigate the safety of more than 7.5 million children in the US
• Child Abuse is Deadly
• It is estimated 1990 children died from Child Abuse and Neglect
• Boys fatality rates at 3.26 per 100,000 compared to girls at 2.25 per 100,000
• African-American child fatalities rate at 6.37 per 100,000
• 3 times greater than that of white children (1.99)

37% of American children are reported to Child Protective Services by their 18^th birthday (African American children are reported at 54%), for a total of 4 million child maltreatment referral reports received.

• 207,000 children received foster care
• 3% of victims are neglected.
• 2% of victims are physically abused.
• 4% of victims are sexually abused.
• 9% of victims are psychologically maltreated.
• 9% of the child abuse victims die from neglect.
• 9% of the child abuse victims die from physical abuse.
• 4% of children who die from child abuse are under one year.
• 80% of child fatalities involve at leastone parent.
• Estimated that between 50-60% of maltreatment fatalities are not recorded on death certificates. This study from Safe Passage for Childrenof Minnesota investigates the death of children at the hands of their parents while in Child Protective Services.

Sexual Abuse Statistics

• 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old.
• 34% of people who sexually abuse a child are family members.
• 3% of girls were age 10 or younger at the time of their first rape/victimization, and 30% of girls were between the ages of 11 and 17.
• 96% of people who sexually abuse children are male, and 76.8% of people who sexually abuse children are adults.
• 325,000 children are at risk of becoming victims of commercial child sexual exploitation each year.
• The average age at which girls first become victims of prostitution is 12 to 14 years old, and the average age for boys is 11 to 13 years old.
• More than 90% of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator.