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Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions

NCJ Number
233229
Date Published
April 2010
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This factsheet presents information on child deaths that resulted from abuse or neglect by a parent or a primary caregiver, as obtained from Child Maltreatment 2008 (Federal fiscal year 2008).
Abstract
A total of 1,740 child fatalities due to abuse or neglect are estimated to have occurred in 2008 (a rate of 2.33 children per 100,000 children in the general population). Research indicates that very young children (ages 4 and younger) are the most frequent victims of child fatalities due to abuse and neglect by parents and caretakers. This report also provides information on how these deaths occur, the perpetrators (by definition, individuals responsible for the care and supervision of their victims), how communities respond to child fatalities, and how these fatalities can be prevented. The report advises that child fatality review teams appear to be among the most promising current approaches for accurately counting, responding to, and preventing child abuse and neglect fatalities, as well as other preventable child deaths. 12 references and resources for more information