Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The Results of the 1994 Annual Fifty State Survey

• NCJ Number: 154871
• Author(s): D Weise; D Daro
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; National Cmtte to Prevent Child Abuse; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Working Paper No. 808

Annotation

The National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse (NCPCA) collected detailed information from the 50 States and the District of Columbia on the number and characteristics of child abuse reports, the number of child abuse fatalities, and changes in the funding and scope of child welfare services.

Abstract

The NCPCA sent a letter and a brief questionnaire to Federally appointed liaisons for child abuse and neglect in each State and the District of Columbia. The questionnaire focused on the actual number of children reported as alleged child abuse victims during 1992, 1993, and 1994; the number of substantiated and indicated victims for the 3-year period; factors accounting for changes in child abuse reporting levels; number of reported and substantiated child abuse cases by maltreatment type (physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse); number of confirmed child abuse fatalities for 1992, 1993, and 1994; characteristics of the child protective service reporting system; and funding levels for child protective service agencies. Survey results showed that child abuse reports continued to climb at a steady pace over the 3-year period, despite the absence of significant new funding to States for investigation or service provision. In 1994, child abuse reports rose by 4.5 percent and exceeded 3.1 million. The proportion of cases involving various forms of maltreatment was essentially the same among reported and substantiated cases, suggesting that more neglect and fewer child sexual abuse cases entered the system in 1994 compared to prior years. Of substantiated cases, about 72 percent received some form of service and 14 percent involved foster care. An estimated 1,271 children were killed in 1994 due to child abuse or neglect. Over the 1992-1994 period, 45 percent of child abuse fatalities involved children who had current or prior contact with child protective service agencies. While 57 percent of respondents said their agencies received more State funding between 1993 and 1994, these increases were relatively small. Nearly all respondents were concerned about Federal efforts to block grant child welfare and related services. 6 endnotes and 4 tables