Facts

Children tend to be very optimistic and resilient, but being a victim of abuse or neglect can have a strong impact and result in changes in a child's mood, behaviors and outlook. Abuse can also have long-lasting effects on a child's ability to succeed in school, work and interpersonal relationships, often times creating a cycle of abuse.

Children:

• Four children die every day in this country as a result of child abuse and neglect. ¹
• Over three-quarters of these children are under age four; ¹
• More than 40 percent will not even live to see their first birthday. ¹
• Over 436,000 boys and over 466,000 girls were abused in 2006. ¹
• Approximately 95 percent of child abuse victims know their abuser. ²
• In one long-term study, as many as 80 percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21. These young adults exhibited many problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide attempts. ³
• Studies have found abused and neglected children to be at least 25 percent more likely to experience problems such as delinquency, teen pregnancy, low academic achievement, drug use and mental health problems. ⁴
• Approximately one-third of abused and neglected children will eventually victimize their own children. ⁵

Families:

• Up to 10 million children in this country are exposed to domestic violence each year. ⁶
• In homes where violence between partners occurs, there is a 45-60 percent chance of children in the home being abused as well. ⁷
• In 1995, the FBI reported that 27 percent of all violent crime involves family on family violence, 48 percent involved acquaintances with the violence often occurring in the home. ⁸
• Studies show that child abuse occurs in 30 to 60 percent of family violence cases that involve families with children. ⁹

Communities:

• The consequences of child abuse and neglect cost American taxpayers more than $94 billion each year due to increases in crime, poverty and unemployment. ¹⁰
• In 2000, states spent at least $20 billion on child welfare services, 20 percent above the amount spent in 1998. That figure does not take into account government spending on criminal justice, medical or mental health services related to child maltreatment. ¹¹
• A National Institute of Justice study indicated that being abused or neglected as a child increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59 percent. Childhood history of abuse and neglect increased the likelihood of adult criminal behavior by 28 percent and violent crime by 30 percent. ¹²

Violence and abuse towards children can occur in any population or socioeconomic group. We all share the responsibility to help keep children from physical or emotional harm. Learn how to recognize the signs that a child might be suffering from exposure to violence or abuse, and find out what you can do to help protect children from the effects of violence and abuse. Take the first step toward helping to ensure a safe and secure future for all children.

For more statistics related to violence and abuse in the lives of children, visit the statistics page of the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program.

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families. Child Maltreatment 2006 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2007).
2. Snyder, Howard N., and Sickmund, Melissa. 2006. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
3. Silverman, A. B., Reinherz, H. Z., & Giaconia, R. M. (1996). The long-term sequelae of child and adolescent abuse: A longitudinal community study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 20(8), 709-723.
4. Kelley, B. T., Thornberry, T. P., & Smith, C. A. (1997). In the wake of childhood maltreatment. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice. Retrieved April 27, 2006, from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/165257.pdf
5. Prevent Child Abuse New York. (2003). The costs of child abuse and the urgent need for prevention. http://pca-ny.org/pdf/cancost.pdf
6. Christian, Steve. "Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: Is It Child Abuse?" National State Legislative Report. January 2002
7. Ross, S.M. 1996. Risk of Physical Abuse to Children of Spouse-Abusing Parents. Child Abuse and Neglect, 20 (7), 589-597.
8. National Incident-Based Reporting System, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 1999.
9 ."The overlap between child maltreatment and woman battering." J.L. Edleson, Violence Against Women, February, 1999.
10.Prevent Child Abuse America. (2001). Total estimated cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States: Statistical evidence. Retrieved from http://www.preventchildabuse.org/learn_more/research_docs/cost_analysis.pdf.
11.Bess, Roseana (2002). The Cost of Protecting Vulnerable Children. Caring for Children. Urban Institute. http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=310586.
12. Widom, C. S., & Maxfield, M. G. (2001). An update on the 'cycle of violence.' Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice. Retrieved April 27, 2006, from www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/184894.pd