These data provide the most national information about child maltreatment known to the State child protective services agencies. Data are provided for the 50 States and the District of Columbia. The introduction addresses the development of the NCANDS, data collection methods, and the data analysis process. Topics covered by the data are child abuse reports, case dispositions, victim characteristics, service responses, child fatalities, offender characteristics, and armed services data. One of the key findings is that in 1995 child protective services (CPS) investigations determined that more than 1 million children were the victims of substantiated or indicated child abuse and neglect. Another key finding is that approximately 52 percent of victims in 1995 suffered neglect, 25 percent physical abuse, 13 percent sexual abuse, 5 percent emotional maltreatment, 3 percent medical neglect, and 14 percent other forms of maltreatment. Some children suffered more than one type of maltreatment. A third key finding is that among children confirmed as victims by CPS agencies in 1995, more than half were 7 years of age or younger, with approximately 26 percent younger than 4 years old. Approximately 26 percent of victims were children ages 8-12; another 21 percent were youth ages 13-18. Case-level data suggest that the majority of victims of neglect and medical neglect were younger than 8 years old, and the majority of victims of other types of maltreatment were age 8 or older. 6 figures, 5 tables, and appended technical notes, summary data component data collection form, and State Advisory Group representatives 1995-96