Geographic Patterns of Fatal Abuse or Neglect in Children Younger Than 5 Years Old, United States, 1979 to 1988

• NCJ Number: 155772
• Journal: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Volume: 148 Dated: (January 1994) Pages: 82-86
• Author(s): P W McClain; J J Sachs; B G Ewigman; S M Smith; J A Mercy; J E Sniezek
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Information from death certificates in the United States from 1979 to 1988 was analyzed to determine geographic patterns of fatal child abuse or neglect among children younger than 5 years old.

Abstract

Results indicated that from 868 to 1,185 of these fatalities occur each year. The lower number is the estimate of confirmed deaths from child abuse and neglect; the higher number is the estimate of the sum of confirmed, probable, and possible cases. Death rates were highest in the south and west, intermediate in the north central states, and lowest in the northeast. Connecticut had the lowest rate, 2.9 to 5.2 per 100,000, while Nevada had the highest rate, 6.7 to 15.4 per 100,000. When the 39 largest metropolitan areas were ranked, a similar variation between the lowest and highest was observed. Boston had a rate of 2.7 to 5.5 per 100,000, while Phoenix had a rate of 6.6 to 15.5 per 100,000. Reducing the national fatality rate to that of Connecticut would reduce the total number of these child fatalities by 434 to 908 each year. Figures, tables, and 13 references