In 2023, about 5.39 children died each day of abuse and neglect in the United States. This is an increase from 1998, when about 3.13 children in the United States died each day due to abuse and neglect.

In 2023, a total of 1,252 children in the United States died as a result of neglect, making it the leading cause of death due to child abuse or maltreatment. A further 668 children died due to physical abuse in that year.

In 2023, about 1,968 children died due to abuse or maltreatment in the United States. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, when 2,010 children died due to abuse or maltreatment across the country.

In 2023, a total of 187 child fatalities due to abuse or maltreatment occurred in Texas, the most out of any state. In that year, California, Ohio, New York, and North Carolina rounded out the five leading states for child abuse deaths.

Counts and rates of child fatalities by file submission type for the most recent federal fiscal year for which data are available.

To view more National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) findings, click link to summary page below: https://healthdata.gov/stories/s/kaeg-w7jc

The number of child fatalities (unique count) for the last five federal fiscal years for which data are available. To view more National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) findings, click link to summary page below: https://healthdata.gov/stories/s/kaeg-w7jc

This final report from the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities presents the Commission’s findings and its recommendations to the White House and Congress for ending child maltreatment fatalities in the United States within the context of a new child welfare system for the 21st century. Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

The leading causes of death among children aged 5 to 9 years in the United States in 2022 were unintentional injuries, cancer, and congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities. At that time, unintentional injuries accounted for around 28 percent of all deaths among this age group. Child abuse in the U.S. Sadly, assault or homicide, was the fourth leading cause of death among those aged 5 to 9 years in the United States in 2022, accounting for around 9.4 percent of all deaths. That year, there were around 113,259 cases of child abuse in the U.S. among children aged 6 to 9 years and 129,846 cases among children aged 2 to 5 years. In 2022, there were around 5.36 child deaths per day in the United States due to abuse and neglect. Suicide among children Assault or homicide was also among the top five leading causes of death among children aged 10 to 14 years, but perhaps even more troubling is that suicide is the second leading cause of death among this age group. As with younger children, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among those aged 10 to 14 years, however, suicide accounts for around 13 percent of all deaths among this age group. Comparatively, suicide is not among the ten-leading causes of death among children from the age 1 to 9 years.

In the United States, more children died due to abuse or maltreatment at the hands of their parents than in other relationships. In 2023, around 364 children died due to abuse by two parents, and 459 children died due to abuse by their mother.

Child maltreatment rate - This indicator shows the rate of children who are maltreated per 1,000 population under the age of 18. Child abuse or neglect can result in physical harm, developmental delays, behavioral problems, or death. Abused and neglected children are at greater risk than other children for delinquency and mistreatment of their own children.

In the United States, more white children died due to abuse or maltreatment than other racial or ethnic groups. In 2023, 540 Black or African-American children died due to abuse or maltreatment, compared to 581 white children. However, the rate of Black or African-American children who died due to abuse stood at 6.04 deaths per 1,000 children, compared to 1.94 deaths per 1,000 children for white children.

Child and adolescent drowning characteristics by age, National Fatality Review Case Reporting System, 2004–2020.

Child and adolescent retention ponds drowning characteristics by age, National Fatality Review Case Reporting System, 2004–2020.

Child and adolescent drowning incident and investigative characteristics by age, National Fatality Review Case Reporting System, 2004–2020.

In the United States, more younger children die due to abuse or maltreatment than older children. In 2023, a total of 707 children who were less than one year old died due to abuse. Another 218 children who were one year old died to abuse or maltreatment in that same year.

In 2023, the child abuse rate for children of Hispanic origin was at 6.7, indicating 6.7 out of every 1,000 Hispanic children in the United States suffered from some sort of abuse. This rate was highest among American Indian or Alaska Native children, with 13.8 children out of every 1,000 experiencing some form of abuse. Child abuse in the U.S. The child abuse rate in the United States is highest among American Indian or Alaska Native victims, followed by African-American victims. It is most common among children between two to five years of age. While child abuse cases are fairly evenly distributed between girls and boys, more boys than girls are victims of abuse resulting in death. The most common type of maltreatment is neglect, followed by physical abuse. Risk factors Child abuse is often reported by teachers, law enforcement officers, or social service providers. In the large majority of cases, the perpetrators of abuse were a parent of the victim. Risk factors, such as teen pregnancy, violent crime, and poverty that are associated with abuse and neglect have been found to be quite high in the United States in comparison to other countries.

Under Section 33 of the Child Welfare Act, 1939, provision was made for the licensing of residential care institutions for children under the age of 7; amendments to the Act in 1969 extended the provision to require licensing for institutions caring for children up to the age of 16.

The Society for Providing Homes for Neglected Children was established in October 1887 when Mr K.F. Oliver donated a house and land at Liverpool for use as a home for orphaned or neglected children. The Society was "undenominational, but distinctly Christian in character, it being founded on the principles and teachings of the New Testament" and was to "remove these (neglected) children (without regard to creed or colour) from their surroundings and to train them in the fear of God, and in the principles of obedience, honesty and industry, and thereby, to give them a chance for this life, and for life which is to come".

In 1918 the property at Liverpool was sold and a property acquired at 132 Davidson Avenue, North Strathfield.

In 1973 "Our Children's Home" was licensed to care for 25 children, but this was reviewed and reduced to 10 children in 1981. In September 1982 the home was closed due to the diminishing level of donations to the Society, the effect of policies of the Department of Youth and Community Services in reducing the number of children permitted to reside at the home which diminished the level of assistance available from the Department, the policy of restoring children to families as soon as practicable, the difficulty of securing suitable staff, and the necessity for extensive alterations to premises to meet licensing standards.

This file contains: reports of alleged neglect and mistreatment of children; correspondence; field officers' reports and periodical reports dealing with care, diets and accommodation of children; reviews of licence; matters regarding the care of children under 7; the death of a child in the home; and the closure of the home and amendments to the constitution of the Society.

(18/1257.2). 1 bundle.

Note:
This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.

In the United States, perpetrators of child abuse are more likely to be parents of the child than a non-parent. In 2023, about 189,635 children in the United States were abused by their mother. Furthermore, 125,493 children were abused by their father in that year.