11 Facts About Child Abuse

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For crisis intervention, information, referrals, and support, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. For 24/7 crisis support at your fingertips, contact the Crisis Text Line by texting DS to 741741. Additional resources can be found at the bottom of this page.

1. It’s estimated that at least 1 in 7 children in the US has experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Child Abuse & Neglect: Fast Facts.” Accessed July 31, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html]
2. Neglect is the most common form of child abuse, followed by physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse.^[U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. “Child Maltreatment 2018.” Accessed July 31, 2020. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data-technology /statistics-research/child-maltreatment]
3. In 2018, about 16% of children who were abused experienced more than one kind of maltreatment.^[U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. “Child Maltreatment 2018.” Accessed July 31, 2020. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data-technology /statistics-research/child-maltreatment]
4. Boys and girls experience similar rates of childhood abuse (48.6% and 51% respectively).^[The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims. “Youth Victimization Fact Sheet.” Accessed July 31, 2020. https://education.victimsofcrime.org/?mdocs-file=360]
5. Rates of child abuse and neglect are 5 times higher for children in families with low socio-economic status compared to children in families with higher socio-economic status.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Child Abuse & Neglect: Fast Facts.” Accessed July 31, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html]
6. Children younger than one year old are the most vulnerable to maltreatment, accounting for almost half of child fatalities from abuse in 2018.^[U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. “Child Maltreatment 2018.” Accessed July 31, 2020. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data-technology /statistics-research/child-maltreatment]
7. In 2018, 76% of child abuse perpetrators were a parent to their victim.^[U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. “Child Maltreatment 2018.” Accessed July 31, 2020. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data-technology /statistics-research/child-maltreatment]
8. In 2018, 62% of children placed in foster care were removed from their homes due to abusive neglect, totalling over 160,000 children.^[U.S. Department o fHealth and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administrationon Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau. “The AFCARS Report #26”. Accessed August 3, 2020. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/afcarsreport26.pdf.]
9. Children who experienced any form of violence in childhood have a 13% greater likelihood of not graduating from high school.^[World Health Organization. “Child Maltreatment.” Accessed July 31, 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/child-maltreatment.]
10. Adult survivors of childhood abuse are more likely to experience mental health difficulties, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.^[Cameranesi, Margherita et al. “Linking a History of Childhood Abuse to Adult Health Among Canadians: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. May 31, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6603908/.]
11. Adult survivors of childhood abuse are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors like smoking, alcohol and drug use, and unsafe sex. They’re also more likely to report overall lower health than those who haven’t experienced childhood abuse.^[Springer, Kristen et al. “The Long-term Health Outcomes of Childhood Abuse.” Journal of General Internal Medicine. October 18, 2003. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1494926/.]

Additional Resources

National Child Abuse Hotline: 24/7 at 1-800-422-4453

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 24/7 at 1-800-799−7233

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline: 24/7 at 1-800-622-4357

Crisis Text Line: 24/7 text DS to 741741