Kidsdata.org provides the number and rate of children ages 0-17 with one or more reports of abuse or neglect , along with the number and rate of children with maltreatment allegations verified as substantiated cases of abuse or neglect . Data on both allegations and substantiations of child maltreatment also are available by age group, by race/ethnicity, and by type of maltreatment.

An estimated one in four children experience abuse or neglect in the U.S. (1). Child maltreatment can cause serious physical injuries and even death (2) . It also can cause lifelong physical, emotional, and behavioral problems, which can lead to intergenerational impacts (2) . Children who are abused or neglected are more likely to have problems such as anxiety, depression, delinquency, difficulty in school, and early sexual activity (2) . Child maltreatment (along with other adverse childhood experiences) can disrupt brain and physical development, particularly when experienced in early childhood, increasing the risk for numerous health problems in adulthood, including heart disease, cancer, substance abuse, mental illness, and suicidal behavior, among others (1, 2) . While most victims do not repeat the cycle of abuse later in life, they are more likely to enter into unhealthy relationships as teens and adults and to mistreat their own children (2) .



Beyond the impact on individuals and families, child abuse has a significant impact on society. The economic cost of nonfatal child maltreatment is estimated at $428 billion annually in the U.S., based on 2015 data (2) .



While abuse and neglect occur in all types of families, certain factors place children at increased risk. For example, children under age 4 (especially infants) and those with special needs are at greatest risk for maltreatment (3, 4) . Examples of family and community risk factors include substance abuse or mental illness in the family, social isolation, parenting stress, young parental age, poverty, domestic violence, and neighborhood violence (1, 3) . Children of color, particularly American Indian/Alaska Native and African American children, are overrepresented in the child welfare system (4) .