Child maltreatment includes physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, as well as neglect (including medical neglect). Maltreatment is associated with several negative outcomes for children, including developmental delays, lower school achievement, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and mental health problems. Many of these problems can follow maltreated children into adulthood.¹ Certain types of maltreatment can result in long-term physical, social, and emotional problems—even death. For example, abusive head trauma can result in visual, neurological, cognitive, behavioral, and sleep impairments, which can result in special education needs.^{1, 2}

Note that the calculation of child maltreatment recently changed and is not comparable with data in editions prior to America's Children, 2017. Specifically, rates are now based on unduplicated counts, and alternative response victims are no longer included.

Indicator FAM3.A Rate of substantiated maltreatment of children ages 0–17 by age, 2017–2023

• The national maltreatment rate of children ages 0–17 decreased from 9 to 7 per 1,000 children between 2017 and 2023.
• The risk of maltreatment is higher for younger children, particularly those under age 1. In 2023, the maltreatment rate for children under age 1 was 21 per 1,000, which was more than twice the rate for any other age group.
• Between 2017 and 2023, the maltreatment rate among children under age 1 decreased from 25 to 21 per 1,000 children.
• In 2023, maltreatment rates for children ages 0–17 varied substantially among race and Hispanic origin groups. Rates per 1,000 children were, in ascending order, as follows: 1 for Asian, non-Hispanic; 6 for White, non-Hispanic; 7 for Hispanic; 8 for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic; 9 for children of Two or more races, non-Hispanic; 12 for Black, non-Hispanic; and 14 for American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic.

Indicator FAM3.B Percentage of substantiated maltreatment of children ages 0–17 by maltreatment type, 2023

• Neglect is by far the most common form of maltreatment: nearly three-quarters (74%) of all maltreated children were found to have been neglected in 2023.
• In 2023, 18% of maltreated children were found to have been physically abused, 10% were sexually abused, and 7% were psychologically abused.
• Differences by age are particularly pronounced for sexual abuse, increasing from 1% for children ages 0–3 to 22% for those ages 12–15 and 23% for those ages 16–17 in 2023.

 FAM3A HTML Table | FAM3B HTML Table