Child Maltreatment Trends
What Is Child Maltreatment?
In the United States, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines child abuse or neglect, at a minimum, as any recent action or inaction by a parent or caretaker that results in a child experiencing:
- serious physical or emotional harm;
- sexual abuse or exploitation;
- sex trafficking;
- an imminent risk of serious harm; or
- death.
Beyond this federal definition, states have different policies for what is considered child maltreatment, how their child protective services department responds and what level of evidence is required to substantiate an allegation of maltreatment.
The terms “child maltreatment” and “child abuse and neglect” are often used interchangeably in studies and findings related to child maltreatment in the United States.
Mass General Brigham, the nation’s largest nonprofit hospital-based research enterprise in the United States, defines and describes the basic child maltreatment types. These are:
Neglect is any failure to provide for a child’s basic needs. In addition to physical needs, such as shelter, clothing, and food, children also require social and emotional care.
Physical abuse is any intentional aggressive or violent behavior toward a child. This type of maltreatment can include:
- slapping, hitting, punching;
- kicking;
- shaking;
- shoving; or
- burning.
Child sexual abuse spans any sexual experience involving a child due to the exploitation of adult power and authority. Physical contact is not required for child sexual abuse to have occurred.
Emotional abuse attacks a child’s basic emotional needs or consistently prevents such needs from being met. This type of maltreatment includes name-calling, chronic yelling and swearing, rejection, manipulation, withholding love and making threats. It can leave children feeling unlovable, endangered, worthless, and flawed.
Child Maltreatment Statistics
The abuse or neglect of any child is a tragedy, and the encouraging news from the latest data in the KIDS COUNT Data Center is that the annual number of confirmed child maltreatment victims in the United States decreased by almost 125,000 from 2015 to 2022. The rate of child maltreatment has remained steady for three consecutive years (2020−2022) at 8 confirmed victims for every 1,000 kids under age 18.
Young children continue to be at greatest risk of maltreatment. Of the more than 555,625 confirmed victims in 2022, 70% were between birth and age 10.
This data, which comes from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, only includes children who came to the attention of authorities through reports of maltreatment, so the actual number of abused or neglected children may be higher.
By far, the most common type of child maltreatment is neglect — when a child’s basic needs are not met, such as food, housing, clothing, etc. — with 74% of victims experiencing neglect in 2022, similar to previous years. Neglect often is tied to the effects of poverty, making it a priority to strengthen and support families in need. Other common types of maltreatment include physical abuse (17% in 2022), sexual abuse (11%), emotional abuse (7%) and medical neglect (2%).
Consequences of Childhood Neglect and Maltreatment
Young survivors of maltreatment can experience both immediate and long-term physical, emotional and behavioral challenges. Children who have experienced maltreatment are more likely to suffer cognitive damage and memory issues and perform poorly in school when compared to their peers.
Research has also linked child abuse and neglect to:
- a rise in risky behavior;
- early pregnancy;
- feeling anxious or depressed; and
- excess weight gain.
The effects of child abuse and neglect, especially when chronic, can disrupt healthy development and result in lifelong effects on health, mental health and overall well-being. Maltreatment during childhood has been linked to:
- Elevated risk of substance misuse in adulthood. Young people who experience maltreatment of any kind are more likely to engage in smoking, drinking and drug use when they grow up.
- Rise in antisocial behavior, including violence perpetration and crime, in adulthood.
- Higher likelihood of having a psychiatric disorder or serious medical illness in adulthood.
- Lower economic productivity as adults.
Child Maltreatment Risk Factors and Considerations
Several organizations, including the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Mass General Brigham, have identified factors that may contribute to heightened risks of child abuse.
Parents and Caregivers
Factors that increase the risk of a parent or caregiver engaging in child abuse include:
- Drug and alcohol use or abuse.
- Having a child 4 years of age or under.
- Not wanting to be pregnant or have a child.
- Struggling to bond with a newborn.
- Caring for a child with special needs, colic or who constantly cries.
- Having a neurodiverse child.
- Learning that a child is LGBTQ+,
- Being a victim of childhood abuse.
- Living in poverty.
- Lacking social support.
- Being young, single, or having many children.
- Experiencing violence within the family.
- Being in a strained or high-conflict relationship.
Community and Society
Factors in the community and across society that increase the likelihood of child maltreatment occurring include:
- Socioeconomic inequities.
- Gender inequities.
- Lack of access to basic needs, goods and services.
- Widespread availability of drugs and alcohol.
- Lack of community activities for young people.
Prevention of Child Maltreatment
Child maltreatment is preventable and its effects can be mitigated with effective treatment and trauma-informed services.
Unfortunately, only half (50%) of child victims received services in 2022. This statistic fell 2 percentage points in just one year and represents a substantial number of children with have unmet needs.
Efforts to prevent abuse and neglect must continue to involve multiple sectors working together to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors among individuals, families, and communities. Societal factors, such as providing an adequate social safety net and high-quality child care, also are critical in supporting families and ensuring that children’s needs are met.
Learn more about child maltreatment prevention.
Signs of Child Maltreatment
Child well-being experts urge adults to look out for the following signs that a child may be in distress and need help:
- Emotional withdrawal.
- Sudden bouts of anger or aggression.
- Decline in academic performance.
- Frequently having physical cuts or bruises.
- Lack of adult supervision.
- Poor appearance or hygiene.
- Constant hunger.
- Fear of going home.
- Many unexplained absences from school.
- Evidence of self-harm or suicide attempts.
If a child’s safety is in question, an adult should report the situation to a trusted authority immediately.
Support for Children
Adults can foster greater resiliency in kids by encouraging their sense of optimism, humor, confidence, independence, autonomy and creativity.
Research also indicates that caring, reliable and positive role models also make a huge difference in a child’s ability to overcome maltreatment.
Support for Parents and Caregivers
Adults are less likely to perpetuate abuse when they are:
- surrounded by a supportive community as well as close friends and families;
- able to access to government services and resources;
- educated; and
- financially secure and able to meet their own and their children’s basic needs.
Support From Communities
Communities that provide good work opportunities for parents can reduce the incidence of abuse. Also helpful: Safe places for children to go after school and access to economic support, if needed.
State Trends in Child Maltreatment
In 2022, four states shared the lowest statewide child maltreatment rate, at two confirmed victims for every 1,000 children residing in the state. These four states were: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.
Two states tied for the nation’s worst child maltreatment rates in 2022. Massachusetts and West Virginia both reported 16 confirmed victims for every 1,000 children residing statewide.
In line with the national trend, over half (27) of all states saw their child maltreatment rates fall from 2015 to 2022. Georgia and Kentucky reported the greatest improvements, going from 11 to 4 confirmed victims for every 1,000 children residing Georgia and from 19 to 12 confirmed victims for every 1,000 children residing Kentucky.
Other states saw this rate rise from 2015 to 2022. North Carolina fared the worst, with its child maltreatment rate moving from 3 to 10 confirmed victims for every 1,000 kids. Montana and Iowa were next in line for taking the largest jump in the wrong direction, going from 8 to 12 confirmed victims for every 1,000 children residing in Montana and 11 to 15 confirmed victims for every 1,000 children residing in Iowa.
States vary in their child welfare policies and practices, which give stakeholders a chance to use these different outcomes develop questions, compare strategies, identify areas of improvement and continue to track their state’s progress.
Learn More About Child Maltreatment
See all child welfare data in the KIDS COUNT Data Center and read more about the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s work in child welfare.
