Child Maltreatment

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Child Maltreatment

Q:	What are the characteristics of fatality victims of child maltreatment?
A:	In 2006, an estimated 1,530 children died as a result of maltreatment.

Characteristics of fatality victims of child maltreatment, 2006

Estimated number of victims	1,530

Fatality rate*	2.0

Age
Under 1	44%
1	15%
2	12%
3	6%
4 to 7	12%
8 to 11	5%
12 to 17	5%

Gender
Male	60%
Female	40%

Race/ethnicity
White	43%
Black	29%
Hispanic	17%
American Indian/Alaskan Native	1%
Asian/Pacific Islander	1%
Other/multiple race	1%
Unknown/missing	7%

Perpetrator relationship to victim
Mother only	27%
Father only	13%
Mother and father	22%
Mother and other	12%
Father and other	2%
Nonparent	14%
Unknown/missing	10%

Notes: *Rate is per 100,000 children under 18 in the U.S. population. This table is based on sample data reported by a varying number of states. Age and sex data were reported by 39 states, race/ethnicity data were reported by 38 states, and data on the perpetrator-victim relationship by 34 states.

[ Excel file ]

Infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 3) accounted for 78% of child fatility victims in 2006.
Atleast three-fourths of child fatalities (76%) in 2006 were caused by one or more parents; 27% were perpetrated by the mother acting alone.
More than one-third (41%) of fatalities in 2006 were the result of neglect, nearly one-third (31%) were a result of combinations of maltreatment types, and nearly one-quarter (22%) were the result of physical abuse.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02109.asp?qaDate=2006. Released on September 12, 2008.

Data Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families. Child Maltreatment 2006. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2008.