Justice Bureau statistics on CPS

Survey Shows Dramatic Increase
in Child Abuse and Neglect, 1986-1993

Excerpts from HHS Release, September 18, 1996
Link to Full HHS Release

The Department of Health and Human Services released a survey estimating that child abuse and neglect in the United States nearly doubled during the seven years between 1986 and 1993.

According to the HHS study, the number of total child maltreatment instances that were investigated by state agencies remained constant from 1986 to 1993; however, the percentage of cases investigated declined dramatically.

"It is shameful and startling to see that so many more children are in danger and that proportionately fewer incidents are investigated," HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala said. "Now states, schools, health care professionals -- all of us -- must commit ourselves to investigating and preventing child abuse with far greater effectiveness than we have seen in the past."

The report estimated the number of abused and neglected children increased from 1.4 million in 1986, to over 2.8 million in 1993. The number of children who were seriously injured quadrupled from about 143,000 to nearly 570,000.

Schools identified the largest number of children at risk, yet state services investigated only 16 percent of these children. For the cases identified in the study, less than 50 percent of children identified as maltreated by any source (except law enforcement) were investigated by child protective services.

Shalala said, "We are giving states more flexibility, demanding more accountability and focusing on the only bottom line that matters: results."

In regard to sexual victimization, the NIS survey concluded:
Girls are sexually abused three times more often than boys;
Boys have greater risk of emotional neglect & serious injury than girls.

The NIS is funded by HHS National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect and mandated by Congress. Previous NIS studies were released in 1981 and 1988.