NCJ Number
209995
Date Published
July 2001
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The 50 States and the District of Columbia were surveyed to determine their definitions of a child abuse or neglect death, the circumstances under which they investigate a child's death, and the nature of the fatality review process and any limitations of the child fatality data.
Abstract
States varied widely in the broadness and narrowness of their definitions of a child abuse or neglect death. Some States had no definition specific to child deaths, and others had general definitions that referenced their child abuse and neglect statutes. Several States listed specific causes of death. Regarding perpetrators, some States limited child abuse and neglect deaths to parents or immediate caregivers, while other States included unrelated persons outside the home, even strangers. Regarding when child welfare agencies investigated child fatalities, most States investigated even when the child and family were not previously known to the agency. Whether a child death was investigated in apparent accidents or cases of sudden infant death syndrome varied significantly among States. Some States had a child fatality review team, which was responsible for conducting coordinated, comprehensive multidisciplinary investigations of child fatalities. Regarding data on child fatalities, local jurisdictions were often free to develop their own systems without regard to any statewide standards; and there was no system in place to share child fatality information. States that lacked a centralized system of collecting and reporting child fatality data had difficulty in compiling accurate aggregate data. The definition of a child abuse or neglect death is shown for each State and the District of Columbia. 4 figures and 1 table