The third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-3) reported information on children harmed or believed to be harmed by maltreatment in 1993. Child maltreatment includes physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and physical, emotional, and educational neglect by a caretaker. Victims of maltreatment may die as the result of abuse or neglect or may experience serious or moderate harm. A child may also be in danger of harm as the result of maltreatment, or harm may be inferred when maltreatment is sufficiently severe.

NIS-3 included maltreatment reported to researchers not only by child protective service agencies, but by other investigatory agencies (e.g., police, courts, public health departments) and community institutions (e.g., hospitals, schools, daycare centers, and social service agencies). It did not include cases known only to family members or neighbors.

Most maltreated children were neglected in 1993

NIS-3 counts each incident of abuse or neglect that occurs. A single child may experience many types of abuse or neglect. In 1993, 70% of maltreated children were victims of neglect, and 43% were victims of abuse. More specifically:

• 47% were physically neglected.

• Almost equal proportions of maltreated children were physically abused (22%), emotionally neglected (21%), and emotionally abused (19%).

• 11% were sexually abused; 14% were educationally neglected.

More than half of all victims (55%) experienced serious or moderate harm as a result of maltreatment in 1993

Types of maltreatment were related to the characteristics of the child

The incidence of maltreatment varied by sex and age but not by race or ethnicity:

• The incidence of sexual abuse was almost three times greater among females than males in 1993. In contrast, emotional neglect was more common among males than females.

• The incidence of maltreatment increased more among males than among females between 1986 and 1993 (102% vs. 68%).

• Between 1986 and 1993, the incidence of maltreatment grew among all children except those ages 15-17.

• Moderate injuries were more frequent among older than younger children. Age differences were not found for other levels of injury.

• The incidence of endangerment was greater for younger children (ages 0-11) than older children (ages 15-17) in 1993.

• Children ages 0-2 and 15-17 had the lowest incidence of maltreatment in 1993.

Children from families with an annual income of less than $15,000 had substantially more maltreatment of all types in 1993 than children from families in other income groups. The abuse rate in these lowest-income families was two times the rate in other families, and the neglect rate was more than three times higher. Children in lowest-income families had higher injury rates in every injury category except fatalities.

Children of single parents were at higher risk of maltreatment

The overall risk of maltreatment in 1993 was twice as great for children living with single parents as for children living with both parents. Compared with children living with both parents, children living with single parents were twice as likely to be neglected and were marginally more likely to be abused. Children living with a single parent of either sex experienced a higher incidence of physical and educational neglect than those living with both parents and were marginally more likely to experience emotional neglect. Children from single-parent homes were at greater risk of injury and of being endangered by maltreatment than those living with both parents.

Maltreatment was related to family size

• Children living in larger families (with four or more children) were physically neglected almost three times more often than those living in one-child families and more than twice as often as those living in families with two or three children.

• Serious injuries were equally likely in families of all sizes.

• Moderate injury was more frequently experienced by maltreated children in larger families than those in families with either two or three children. Children in these largest families also experienced higher rates of endangerment.

The majority of maltreated children were victimized by their birth parents

Birth parents were responsible for the largest proportion of maltreatment victimizations in 1993 (78%), followed by other categories of parents (14%) and other perpetrators (9%). Children victimized by their birth parents were twice as likely to experience neglect as abuse. More specifically, among children victimized by their birth parents:

• The most common forms of maltreatment involved educational neglect (29%), physical neglect (27%), and physical abuse (23%).

• 16% were victims of emotional neglect, 14% were victims of emotional abuse, and 5% were victims of sexual abuse.

In contrast to children victimized by their birth parents, those maltreated by other categories of parents were almost twice as likely to be abused as to be neglected. For example:

• Physical abuse was the most common form of maltreatment (37%).

• One-quarter of these children were victims of sexual abuse.

• One-fifth were victims of educational neglect.

• The least common forms of maltreatment involved physical neglect (9%) and emotional abuse (13%).

Fatal or serious injury was more likely for children maltreated by birth parents than by others

Most maltreatment cases were identified by schools

Because of the large volume of children attending schools, more maltreated children were identified by schools in 1993 than by all other community agencies and institutions combined:

1 in 3 alleged maltreatment cases was investigated by child protective service agencies

Child protective service agencies investigated 33% of the cases known to community agencies and institutions in 1993. The remaining cases either were not reported to child protective service agencies or were reported but not investigated. The highest investigation rates occurred among cases identified by police and sheriff departments (52%), hospitals (46%), and mental health agencies (42%). In contrast, the lowest investigation rates occurred among cases identified by daycare centers (3%) and public health agencies (4%).

Investigations were more likely in cases involving abuse than neglect

Cases in which children were alleged to be physically or sexually abused were investigated by child protective services more frequently than other maltreated children.

1999 National Report Series, Juvenile Justice Bulletin: Children as Victims	May 2000