NCJ Number
182138
Date Published
November 1999
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes findings from Prevent Child Abuse America's 1998 annual 50 State survey on current trends in child abuse reporting and fatalities.
Abstract
These data represent the only available estimates of the number of children reported and substantiated as victims of maltreatment and the number of child abuse fatalities nationwide for 1998. All State liaisons, except Connecticut, Maine, and West Virginia, provided some data as requested in the survey by August 1999. Of the 48 respondents, 40 knew or were able to project their child abuse reporting statistics for 1998, and 37 respondents gave 1998 statistics regarding child abuse fatalities. Forty-five respondents answered at least some general questions on their State's child welfare practices. To obtain an estimate of both the total caseloads for child protection agencies nationwide and recent caseload changes encountered by these agencies, all liaisons were asked to provide the number of children reported and substantiated as victims of child maltreatment. In 1998 an estimated 3,154,000 children were reported to child protection agencies as alleged victims of child maltreatment, a 2.4-percent decrease in reports between 1997 and 1998. Nationwide, the rate of children reported for child abuse or neglect remained stable over the past 7 years, with the exception of a 2-percent increase in 1997 and corresponding decline in 1998. This report also presents findings on factors that account for reporting changes; case characteristics (breakdown by type of abuse, day care/foster care, and primary presenting problems); services to abusive families; and child maltreatment fatalities. In the latter case, only 37 States were able to provide fatality data for 1998. Within the 37 States that reported fatalities for both 1997 and 1998, there was an 11-percent increase in child maltreatment related fatalities, from 854 in 1997 to 948 in 1998. 3 tables, 3 notes, and 11 references