In 1998, more than 900,000 children in the United States experienced or were at risk for child abuse and/or neglect. An estimated 1,100 children died from such maltreatment. Head trauma—often the result of violent shaking—is the leading cause of death and disability among abused infants and children.

Child Protective Services agencies received an estimated 2.8 million referrals alleging child maltreatment, two-thirds of which met criteria for investigation. Of the cases investigated, nearly one-third resulted in a finding of proven or probable maltreatment.

Child maltreatment increases the risk of suicide and of becoming either a victim or perpetrator of intimate partner violence.

Males who are abused or neglected or who witness violence between their parents in childhood are at increased risk of perpetrating intimate partner violence in adulthood.

Studies have suggested links between child maltreatment and alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, smoking, sexual promiscuity, and certain chronic diseases.

Women with a history of childhood sexual abuse are at higher risk than nonvictims of being sexually assaulted in adulthood.

The full extent of the child maltreatment problem in this country is not known. Current data systems only capture information about child maltreatment that is severe enough to come to the attention of the child protective services system. As a result, many cases of child abuse go unreported and unnoticed. We must develop data collection and tracking systems at the national, state, and local levels to more accurately document the scope of the problem and identify changes over time.

Many communities have implemented programs to prevent child maltreatment, but few have been evaluated to determine if they are effective.

Types of Maltreatment

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act identifies four major types of maltreatment: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.

While state definitions may vary, operational definitions include the following:

Physical Abuse

Infliction of physical injury as the result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking or otherwise harming a child.

Child Neglect

Failure to provide for the child's basic needs. Neglect can be physical, educational, or emotional.

Sexual Abuse

Fondling a child's genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials.

Emotional Abuse (Psychological/Verbal Abuse/Mental Injury)

Acts or omissions by the parents or other caregivers that have caused, or could cause serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders.