News Release
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
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Contact: ACF Press Office
(202) 401-9215
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HHS RELEASES 2001 NATIONAL STATISTICS
ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
An estimated 903,000 children across the country were victims of abuse or neglect in 2001, according to national data released today by the Department of Health and Human Services. The statistics indicate that about 12.4 out of every 1,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect, a rate comparable to the previous year's victimization rate of 12.2 out of 1,000 children.
"A nation as compassionate as ours should ensure that no child is a victim of abuse or neglect. The number of children that are being abused and neglected this country is an unacceptable daily tragedy," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "We must do more to protect our most vulnerable children. That's why President Bush has proposed an important new approach to give states the tools and resources they need to prevent abuse and care for these young victims."
As part of HHS' fiscal year 2004 budget request, the Bush Administration is proposing a new approach to protecting children in the child welfare system. Under the plan, states and tribes would have the option of using some money now designated solely for foster care to support a range of abuse-preventive services and programs. The proposal provides the flexibility and sustained financial support necessary to build innovative programs for children and families aimed at preventing maltreatment and removal from home.
"Every time a child is abused or neglected, the whole human race suffers," said Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., assistant secretary for children and families. "President Bush's plan to prevent this terrible problem will point the way to happier lives for many children."
The data released today are based on information collected through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). The data show that child protective service agencies received about 2,672,000 reports of possible maltreatment in 2001. There were 903,000 substantiated cases of maltreatment of children - the majority of which involved cases of neglect. About 1,300 children died of abuse or neglect, a rate of 1.81 children per 100,000 children in the population.
The rate of child neglect and abuse in 2001 was about 19 percent less than the rate in 1993, when maltreatment peaked at an estimated 15.3 out of every 1,000 children. As recently as 1998, the rate was 12.9 per 1,000 children. The rate dropped to 11.8 per 1,000 children in 1999 - considered a statistical "outlier" that was unduly influenced by census population estimates - and then returned to 12.2 per 1,000 children in 2000.
The 2001 data were released today by HHS' Administration for Children and Families at a joint press conference with Prevent Child Abuse America marking April as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. The St. Louis event also highlighted the public and private partnerships for prevention that are crucial to addressing maltreatment successfully.
The full report, "Child Maltreatment 2001," is available at http://www.calib.com/nccanch/statutes/. A table of state and national child abuse and neglect victimization rates for 2000 and 2001 is available from the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect at (800) 394-3366 or by e-mail at nccanch@calib.com.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: May 12, 2003
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