| Print Version | Prevent Child
Abuse America |
| National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month Materials |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, April 10, 2000
Contact: Michael Kharfen, (202) 401-9215
HHS REPORTS NEW CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT STATISTICS
HHS Secretary Donna
E. Shalala today reported that 1998 national child abuse and neglect statistics
reported by states continued to decline to just over 900,000 children
in 1998. The incidence rate of children victimized by maltreatment also
declined to 12.9 per 1,000 children, the lowest record in more than 10
years. The decrease, the fifth in a row reported by the federal government,
comes as the nation marks April as National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention
Month.
"Although we
can be encouraged that the number of children who suffer abuse and neglect
continues to decline, these numbers are still unacceptably high,"
said Secretary Shalala. "The Clinton administration is firmly committed
not only to preventing child abuse and neglect before it occurs, but also
to providing safe, permanent and loving homes for children who have been
harmed. We must not tolerate this daily human tragedy in our children's
lives."
Based on data reported
by states, HHS estimates that child protective service agencies received
about 2,806,000 referrals of possible maltreatment in 1998. Of the 66
percent of those referrals investigated, states found that there were
an estimated 903,000 children who were victims of abuse and/or neglect.
In a trend which began five years ago, the number of children abused and
neglected has decreased approximately 11 percent from a record 1,018,692
in 1993. Parents continue to be the main perpetrators of child maltreatment.
More than 80 percent of all victims were maltreated by one or both parents.
The most common pattern of maltreatment (45 percent) was a child victimized
by a female parent with no other perpetrators. Victims of physical and
sexual abuse, compared to victims of neglect and medical neglect, were
more likely to be maltreated by a male parent acting alone.
More than half of
all victims (54 percent) suffered neglect, while almost a quarter (23
percent) suffered physical abuse. Nearly 12 percent of the victims were
sexually abused. The number of child fatalities caused by maltreatment
remained unchanged at about 1,100.
"Child maltreatment
has a devastating effect on its victims, their families, and the community
as a whole," said Olivia A. Golden, HHS assistant secretary for children
and families. "But with the landmark Adoption and Safe Families Act
as well as community-based child abuse prevention programs, there is more
hope than ever for a stronger web of protection for children."
The Adoption and
Safe Families Act of 1997, based on President Clinton's Adoption 2002
proposal, made the most sweeping changes in the child welfare program
since it was established.
Recent regulations implement several of the law's requirements regarding
states' efforts to achieve safety and permanency for children. First,
the regulation clarifies that states have broad flexibility to define
circumstances in which "reasonable efforts" are not required
to preserve or reunify a child with the birth family because of safety
concerns. Second, for children in foster care, states must obtain a court
order at least every 12 months showing that the state made reasonable
efforts to develop a permanent plan for reunification or legal guardianship
or adoption. Third, the regulation provides guidance for states on filing
petitions for termination of parental rights for certain children in foster
care and makes clear that no groups of children may be exempt from the
requirement. Under the law, states must begin termination of parental
rights proceedings for a child who has been in foster care 15 months of
the previous 22 months. Finally, the rule requires states to conduct criminal
record checks for prospective foster or adoptive parents, or otherwise
document the safety of a child's placement.
The Department will
be distributing several thousand packets of prevention information to
states and local child welfare agencies and community organizations during
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. This information is also available
at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov. Materials can be obtained by web site of the
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information at http://www.calib.com/nccanch/prevmnth/
or by calling 1-800-FYI-3366.
Table
1 - Children Subject of an Investigation
1998
Table 2 - Child Victims of Maltreatment
1998
Table 3 - Perpetrators by Relationship
to Child Victims 1998
Table 4 - Child Maltreatment
Fatalities 1998
###
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Back to Top