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There are many sources available for statistics on child abuse. Here is a snapshot for child abuse nationwide. Please note that most statistics are for reported cases, and thus may under-represent the true numbers of child abuse victims.

If you are interested in other sources of statistics, please visit our Resources: Statistics page.

51.7% of child abuse victims were female
  58.2% of child abuse perpetrators were women; 41.8% were men
53.6% of child abuse victims were Caucasian; 25.5% were African American; 11.5% were Hispanic; and 9.4% were other races
57% of child victims reported neglect
11.2% of child victims reported physical abuse
7.2% of child victims reported sexual abuse
75.9% of child sexual abuse victims were abused by friends or neighbors
78.2% of child fatalities were caused by one or more parents

Victimization by Child Maltreatment Type
In the figure below, the rates for child maltreatment differentiated by type are represented by a shaded bar. Rates are based on the number of incidences per 1,000 child victims.

Figure 3-3 Victimization Rates by Maltreatment Type, 2000-2003

Rates of Victimization According to Age

Figure 3-4 Victimization Rates by Age Group, 2003

Source: Child Maltreatment 2003. United States Dept of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
Available online at: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm03/index.htm or as a full PDF version at: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm03/cm2003.pdf