The Administration for Children and Families recently released its latest annual report on child abuse and neglect. Child Maltreatment 2012 is the 23rd edition of the report which includes national and state level findings about investigations and assessments, perpetrators of maltreatment, and prevention and post investigation services. For the sixth consecutive year data shows a steady decline in the number of children who suffered from all forms of maltreatment.
■ Specifically, from 2008 to 2012, overall rates of victimization declined by 3.3 percent, from 9.5 to 9.2 per 1,000 children in the population. This results in an estimated 30,000 fewer victims in 2012 (686,000) compared with 2008 (716,000).
■ Since 2008, overall rates of children who received a Child Protective Services (CPS) response increased by 4.7 percent, from 40.8 to 42.7 per 1,000 children in the population. This results in an estimated 107,000 additional children who received a CPS response in 2012 (3,184,000) compared to 2008 (3,077,000).
■ Nationally, four-fifths (78.3%) of victims were neglected, 18.3 percent were physically abused, 9.3 percent were sexually abused and 8.5 percent were psychologically maltreated.
■ For 2012, a nationally estimated 1,640 children died of abuse and neglect at a rate of 2.20 children per 100,000 children in the national population.
Read or download the full report.
