NCJ Number
45771
Date Published
1978
Length
17 pages
Annotation
DATA ARE PRESENTED AND ANALYZED TO EXAMINE THE NATURE, REPORTED INCIDENCE, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN THE U.S. RECEIVING AGENCY ACTIONS AND REPORTING SOURCES ARE ALSO EXAMINED.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH A TOTAL OF 357,533 REPORTS WERE SUBMITTED FROM ALL 50 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PUERTO RICO, GUAM, AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, ANALYSES WERE BASED ON 99,579 REPORTS FROM 22 FULLY PARTICIPATING STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. OF THESE REPORTS, ONLY 47 PERCENT WERE VALIDATED: 58 PERCENT REPORTED CHILD NEGLECT ONLY, 27 PERCENT REPORTED CHILD ABUSE ONLY, AND 15 PERCENT REPORTED BOTH. FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND RELATIVES WERE FOUND TO BE THE SOURCE OF ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE INITIAL REPORTS. WHILE CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT WAS FOUND AT ALL INCOME LEVELS, MOST CASES INVOLVED LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC FAMILIES; 87 PERCENT OF THE ALLEGED PERPETRATORS WERE THE CHILD'S NATURAL PARENTS. IN 82 PERCENT OF THE VALIDATED CASES THE CHILD REMAINED IN THE HOME WITH THE FAMILY, AND CRIMINAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN ONLY 4 PERCENT OF THESE CASES. FACTORS INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT INCLUDE A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS AND PERSONALITY VARIABLES WHICH DIFFER IN RELATIVE IMPORTANCE TO CHILD ABUSE AND CHILD NEGLECT INCIDENCE. IN CONTRAST TO PREVIOUS FINDINGS, THE MAJORITY OF ALLEGED PERPETRATORS WERE OVER 30 YEARS OLD. MALTREATMENT-ASSOCIATED FATALITIES TEND TO CLUSTER FOR VICTIMS UNDER 2 YEARS OF AGE. HOWEVER, ABUSE AND NEGLECT VICTIMS OF BOTH SEXES ARE FOUND FOR ALL AGE GROUPINGS THROUGH 17 YEARS OLD, ALTHOUGH AGE/SEX AND AGE/SEVERITY-OF-INJURY RATIOS VARY. IMPLICATIONS OF THESE DATA FOR POLICYMAKING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES DELIVERY, SOCIAL SERVICES MANPOWER AND TRAINING, AND REPORT VALIDATION PROCEDURES ARE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE DATA ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)