Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The Results of the 1995 Annual Fifty State Survey

• NCJ Number: 161986
• Author(s): C T Lung; D Daro
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 22 pages
• Corporate Author: National Cmtte to Prevent Child Abuse
• Sale Source: National Cmtte to Prevent Child Abuse
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Working Paper Number 808.

Annotation

Forty-nine States and the District of Columbia responded to the 1995 survey on current trends in child abuse reporting and fatalities, along with changes in the funding and scope of child welfare services.

Abstract

In February of 1996, the National Center on Child Abuse Prevention Research sent a letter to the federally appointed liaisons for child abuse and neglect in each State and the District of Columbia requesting their support for the annual survey. A brief questionnaire accompanied the letter. All State liaisons except Ohio provided some data as requested in the survey by early April 1996. Of the 50 respondents, 38 knew or were able to project their child abuse reporting statistics for 1995, and 34 respondents gave 1995 statistics with respect to child abuse fatalities. Fifty respondents answered at least some general questions on their State's child welfare practices and attitudes toward various child welfare reforms. Findings show that child abuse reports continue to increase at a steady rate despite the absence of significant new funding to States for investigation or service provision. In 1995 child abuse reports increased 2 percent, exceeding 3.1 million. Although there was a decrease in the number of substantiated cases, nearly 1 million new cases entered child protective service caseloads last year. For the second consecutive year, the proportion of cases that involved various forms of maltreatment were essentially the same among the reported and substantiated cases, suggesting that a greater number of neglect cases and fewer child sexual abuse cases entered the system last year compared to prior years. Of those cases that were substantiated, approximately 76 percent received some form of service, and 22 percent of the substantiated cases involved the use of foster care. Child abuse fatalities remained high; an estimated 1,215 children were killed last year as a result of child abuse or neglect. Over the past 3 years, 46 percent of these fatalities involved children who had current or prior contact with local child protective service agencies. 4 tables and 9 references