The number of reported child abuse and neglect are rising in the United States, with the majority of the victims being children aged 0 to 2.
That is according to the "Child Maltreatment 2023" report from the US Department of Health and Human Services. Data showed there were nearly 4.4 million referrals to child protective services in fiscal 2023. That marks a 3% increase from the number of referrals in 2022.
The report also noted that of the 4.4 million referrals, just over 3.08 million were investigated or given an alternative response, marking a 12% decrease in the number of cases that received an investigation or alternative response from the previous year.
And in cases that were investigated, only 546,519 children were confirmed to be victims of child abuse or neglect. At least 70% of children were first-time victims.
The report included data for medical neglect, child neglect, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, sexual abuse, and sex trafficking.
Who Were Most Vulnerable to Child Maltreatment?
The youngest children, specifically those aged 0 to 2, remain the most vulnerable to child abuse and neglect. In fact, 26.6% or 145,373 confirmed victims of child maltreatment in fiscal 2023 were in this age range.
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By sex, 52% of child maltreatment victims were girls and 47.6% were boys.
By race or ethnicity, White children had the highest number of confirmed victims at 41.3%. This was followed by Hispanic children (23.8%) and Black or African-American youth (22.1%).
In confirmed cases, 89% of victims were abused or neglected by one or both parents---37.2% were maltreated by a mother acting alone, 24.6% were maltreated by a father acting alone, and 19.4% were maltreated by both parents. Other perpetrators included relatives (5.5%), an unmarried partner of a parent (3.5%), and "others" (3.3%). The latter includes foster siblings, babysitters, household staff, clergy, and school personnel.
Where Was Child Maltreatment the Highest?
Texas ranked first as the state with the highest number of confirmed child maltreatment victims, with 54,476. California follows with 47,824 confirmed child abuse victims and New York with 46,431.
