The Typical Maltreatment Victim Is Young. Very Young.
Child protective services confirmed that nearly 668,000 children — 9 in every 1,000 kids — were victims of maltreatment in 2016.
Just over 40% of these children were between birth and age 4 and 74% were younger than age 11.
Maltreatment is a term that encompasses various offenses — the most common being neglect — that can stifle healthy development and result in long-term consequences for children. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, medical neglect and sexual abuse are also types of maltreatment.
At the state level, rates of confirmed child maltreatment vary widely. Children in Massachusetts (23 in every 1,000 kids) and Kentucky (20 in every 1,000 kids) are most likely to experience maltreatment. At the other end of the spectrum sits Pennsylvania, where two in every 1,000 kids are confirmed as victims of maltreatment.
Data on Child Maltreatment
Explore more child welfare data — at the national and state level — in the KIDS COUNT Data Center.
- Children who are confirmed by child protective services as victims of maltreatment
- Children who are confirmed by child protective services as victims of maltreatment by age group
- Children who are confirmed by child protective services as victims of maltreatment by gender
- Children who are confirmed by child protective services as victims of maltreatment by maltreatment type
- Children who are confirmed by child protective services as victims of maltreatment who received post-investigation services
- Children who are subject to an investigated report
