Child Abuse Facts

Get the Facts on Child Abuse and Neglect:

The Toll of the Nationwide Epidemic

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Child Abuse and Neglect Can Be Deadly: In 2010, 1,560 child deaths were reported as a result of abuse or neglect.

The Youngest Children Are Most Vulnerable: The youngest children are the most vulnerable: nationally, one third of child abuse and neglect victims are under age 4. Almost half of all children who died from abuse or neglect never reached their first birthday.

Child Abuse and Neglect is Costly: American taxpayers spend $25 billion alone per year on foster care placements for victims of abuse or neglect.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that, “The total lifetime economic burden resulting from new cases of fatal and nonfatal child maltreatment in the United States in 2008 is approximately $124 billion.”

A Generational Cycle: Abuse and neglect can pass from one generation to the next; one study found a third of children with a history of abuse may maltreat their own children. Research has shown that approximately half of youths arrested for delinquency had been abused or neglected earlier in their lives. One researcher compared abused or neglected children to similar children with no history of abuse and found that victimized children were twice as likely to commit a crime by age 19 and were 29 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime.

Of the 700,000 victims of abuse or neglect in 2010, that equates to more than 25,000 additional violent criminals in the future, who otherwise have avoided such crimes if not for the abuse and neglect they endured.

Child Abuse Has a Lifetime of Consequences: Victims of abuse and/or neglect are also at greater risk of unemployment, divorce, suicide and a range of health problems from heart disease to depression.

Home Visiting Can Cut Abuse and Neglect by Half: Voluntary home visiting services help expectant mothers and young parents learn about the early physical and emotional development of their child. They also provide them with tools to manage stress and anxiety, resources for ensuring the child’s safety and techniques to effectively guide a toddler away from unacceptable behavior.

A study of the Nurse-Family Partnership found that the home visits cut abuse and neglect by half among the families served.

The numbers will shock the conscience. Take action to prevent child abuse and neglect.