Child Maltreatment Statistics

National Child Maltreatment Statistics

The statistics of child maltreatment and neglect show the severity of the problem.

• Of the children who died, 41.6% suffered physical abuse either exclusively or in
  combination with another maltreatment type
• 44% of children who die from child abuse are under one year.
• Boys had a higher child fatality rate than girls (3.15 boys & 2.30 girls per 100,000)
• Almost 44,355 children are sexually abused.
• For 2023, 36 states report 800 unique victims of sex trafficking.
• For victims of the sex trafficking maltreatment type, the majority (87.3%) are female and 11.5 percent are male.
• It is estimated that between 50-60% of maltreatment fatalities are not recorded on death certificates.
• Child abuse crosses all socioeconomic and educational levels, religions, and ethnic and cultural groups.
• 14% of all men in prison and 36% of women in prison in the USA were abused as children, about twice the frequency seen in the general population.

• ACEs that were most common among high school students were emotional abuse, physical abuse, and living in a household affected by poor mental health or substance use.
• Preventing ACEs could reduce suicide attempts among high school students by as much as 89%, prescription pain medication misuse by as much as 84%, and persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness by as much as 66%.
• Estimates show that preventing ACEs could reduce cases of heart disease by 22% and depression by 78% for adults.
• ACEs are highest among females, American Indian or Alaska Native and multicultural youth, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning youth.
• ACEs-related health consequences cost an estimated $14.1 trillion dollars annually in the United States in direct medical spending and lost healthy-life years.

Consequences & Risk Factors

Child neglect and maltreatment are likely to create consequences for victims later in life.

• Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
• Abused teens are more likely to engage in sexual risk taking behaviors, putting them at greater risk for STDs.
• About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse.
• In at least one study, about 80% of 21 year olds who were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.
• The financial cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States is estimated at $585 billion.

Opiod Crisis & Effects of Parental Substance Abuse on Children

The statistics of child neglect and of parental opioid and other substance abuse are inextricably linked. Parental opioid abuse can have devastating effects on children. The early trauma exposure makes children more likely to suffer mental health disorders, including substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder later on in their lives. Breaking the cycle requires a multifaceted approach that involves strong support systems and a comprehensive opioid dependency treatment to protect children from the repercussions of parental substance abuse. 

Parental substance abuse can be a more subtle form of child maltreatment. A 2015 study from the National Institutes of Health found children exposed to opiates during pregnancy suffer from behavior and attention problems. Such children require therapy and often, specially licensed and trained foster families. States have indicated that they are struggling to recruit qualified foster families to home children with behavioral and attention issues.

The increase in the number of children in foster care occurs at the same time as the increase in the percentage of children entering foster care due to parental substance abuse. Anecdotal evidence and expert opinion link this increase to the parallel rise in parental opioid addiction and overdoses. One-third of children entering foster care in 2016 were due at least in part to parental drug abuse—an increase of nearly 50 percent since 2005.

Child neglect, which is often a result of substance abuse, is the leading reason for foster care entry. Child neglect was the finding in 61 percent of child maltreatment cases.