The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) annually collects child maltreatment data from child protective service agencies. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) employs both a summary and a case-level approach to data collection. Summary data provide national information on a number of key indicators of child abuse and neglect cases in 1996. Case-level data provide descriptive information on cases referred to child protective service agencies during the same year.

About 1.6 million child abuse and neglect investigations were conducted in 1996

Child protective service agencies conducted investigations on 80% of the estimated 2 million reports of child abuse and neglect in 1996. In 35% of these investigations, the allegation was either substantiated (i.e., the allegation of maltreatment or risk of maltreatment was supported or founded) or indicated (i.e., the allegation could not be substantiated, but there was reason to suspect the child was maltreated or was at risk of maltreatment). More than half (58%) of all investigations were not substantiated or indicated. The remaining 7% were closed without a finding or resulted in another disposition. Detailed data from 11 States indicated that reports from professionals were more likely than those from nonprofessionals to be substantiated or indicated (51% vs. 35%).

Most perpetrators were related to the victim

The 1996 national summary data on substantiated or indicated maltreatment found the following:

• 52% of victims were female.

• 55% of victims were white, 28% were black, 12% were Hispanic, and 5% were other races.

• 19% of victims were age 2 or younger, 52% were age 7 or younger, and 7% were age 16 or older.

• 80% of perpetrators were parents of the victim.

• An estimated 1,077 children died as the result of maltreatment in 1996.

• About 16% of victims in substantiated or indicated cases were removed from their homes.

Case-level data from States provide a profile of victims

Detailed information from States reporting case-level data on victims of substantiated or indicated maltreatment in 1996 found the following:

• Neglect was the most common form of maltreatment found among all age groups (58%).

• Younger children (under age 8) were more likely than older children (age 8 and older) to have been neglected (65% vs. 49%).

• Older victims were more likely than younger victims to have been physically abused (29% vs. 19%) or sexually abused (15% vs. 7%).

• Female victims were three times more likely than males to have experienced sexual abuse (16% vs. 5%) and less likely to have experienced neglect (54% vs. 62%).

• More than half (56%) of fatalities were male.

• White youth were more likely than black youth to be victims of sexual abuse (13% vs. 7%) and less likely to be victims of some form of neglect (58% vs. 70%).

• Death due to child abuse and neglect was found mostly among very young children. Three in four deaths (76%) involved children under age 4.

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