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Child Maltreatment
Main Types of Child Maltreatment:
• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological abuse (emotional abuse, verbal abuse, mental injury)
• Neglect
• Children exposed to partner violence*
* Some experts do not classify this under the realm of child maltreatment
The Problem:
• In 2002, there were approximately 906,000 victims of child maltreatment nationwide1:
- 61% suffered neglect
- 19% suffered physical abuse
- 10% suffered sexual abuse
- 5% suffered psychological or emotional abuse
- An estimated 1,500 children confirmed to have died from maltreatment
• Children under the age of four are most likely to be victims of child maltreatment, and are at greatest risk of severe injury or death1,2. Children 4 and under comprised 76.1% of all fatalities for in 2002 3
• Girls are slightly more likely to be victims than boys3
• More than 80% of perpetrators were parents3
• 43.6 % of reports of alleged child abuse or neglect were made by friends, neighbors and relatives. Over half were made by professionals:3
-16.1 % were made my educators
-15.7% were made by law enforcement
-12.6% made by social services personnel
-Remaining reports were made by medical personnel, mental health personnel, child daycare providers, and foster care providers.
• Florida was among 3 other states and the District of Columbia with the highest child maltreatment rates in the U.S. in 20022
• Child maltreatment can have long-lasting consequences on a child’s health, brain development, cognition, and behavioral, psychological, social and emotional development2
• Societal costs of maltreatment are just beginning to be studied, and direct and indirect costs are estimated to range from $67 to 94 billion each year2.
References:
1. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2005). Child Maltreatment: Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 19, 2005 at http://www.cdc/gov/ncipc/factsheets/cmfacts.htm
2. TEAM Florida Partnership Interprogram Task Force (2005). Florida’s Plan for Prevention of Child Abuse, Neglect, and Abandonment: 2005-2009.
3. Department of Health and Human Services (2002). Child Maltreatment Report. 13th annual publication of data collected from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.
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