Crimes Against Children Research Center

FACT SHEET

Table of Contents

2. Homicide

3. Sexual Assault

4. Non-Family Abduction

5. Assault

6. Robbery and Theft

7. Child Maltreatment, Child Abuse and Neglect

8. Child Physical Abuse

9. Child Sexual Abuse

10. Child Neglect

11. Family Abduction

12. Exposure to Domestic Violence

13. School Assaults

Children have very high rates of crime victimization.

• In 1997, youth 12 through 17 had crime victimization rates over two times higher than adults, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The overall rate of violent crime for youth ages 12 through 17 is 92 per 1,000, compared to 32 per 1,000 for adults and 38 per 1,000 for all persons.

• Victims 12 through 17 constitute 25% of all violent crime victims, according to the NCVS.     

*1997 National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data indicating 6% of all violent crimes known to police are to persons 0-11

CCRC data analysis using NIBRS, 1997 and NCVS 1997.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv96.htm

Crimes against youth are less likely to be reported to the police.

• In 1995/96, 28% of violent crimes against youth were reported to police versus 48% of crimes to adults.
  
• Only 10% of thefts from youth were reported, versus 31% of thefts from adults.

Finkelhor, D. and Ormrod, R. (1999).  Reporting crimes against juveniles. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Youth are more likely than adults to face a weapon-toting assailant.

• In 1996, the rate for victimization with a weapon was 22.9 per 1,000 for youth, compared to 9.9 per 1,000 for adults.

Juveniles are more likely than adults to experience a victimization related injury.

• In 1996, the rate for victimization injury was 27.1 per 1,000 for youth, compared to 8.9 per 1,000 for adults.

U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. Criminal Victimization 1996: Changes 1995-1996 with Trends 1993-1996.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv96.htm

Crimes against children have been declining in recent years, along with crimes against all individuals.

• Youth crime victimization has declined since 1993.

U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. Changes in Criminal Victimization 1994-1995.

U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. Criminal Victimization 1996: Changes 1995-1996 with Trends 1993-1996.

• These trends parallel declines in crime rates for persons of all ages. Personal crime victimization for all ages declined 22% from 1993 to 1997, including a 7% drop between 1996- 1997.

U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. Criminal Victimization 1996: Changes 1995-1996 with Trends 1993-1996.

U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. National Crime Victimization Survey: Changes in Criminal Victimization, 1994-95.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv96.htm

Snyder, H., & Sickmund, M. (1995). Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

The homicide rate for juveniles of all ages is lower than for adults.

• In 1997, the number of juvenile homicide victims was 2,087. The homicide rate was 3.0 per 100,000 persons ages 0 through 17, compared to 8.1 for adults.

• Eleven percent of the homicides in 1997 occurred in the 17 or younger age group.

  Snyder, H. and Finnegan, T. (1998).  Easy Access to the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports:  1980-1997.  National Center for Juvenile Justice.  Rates calculated by CCRC.

http://www.fbi.gov/crimestats.htm

• There was a 77% increase in the number of juvenile homicide victims between 1985 and 1993. Almost all of the increase was in the 12 through 17 age group.

• However, from 1993 -1997 the number of juvenile homicide victims declined by 28%, but remained well above the levels of the mid-1980's.

Snyder, H., & Sickmund, M. (1995). Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

*motor vehicle and other

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics. 1997. Preliminary 1996 Data. Monthly Vital Statistics Report, 46(1).

http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/SSBR/lc7-toc.htm

• Homicide is the only one of these causes to have increased in the last generation.

• Juvenile homicide rates are substantially higher for African American and Hispanic American youth.
  
• Large cities have levels that greatly exceed those of rural areas.  Washington DC, has 9 times more child murders than the national average.

Finkelhor, D. & Ormrod, R. (in press).  The homicides of children & youth.  Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Teenagers, children in middle childhood, and young children face different homicide perils.

• The homicides of teens (12-17 years) mostly involve male victims and male offenders, many of whom are other youths or young adults, using firearms.
  
• The homicide risk for middle childhood (6-11 years) is very low compared to that of teenagers or young children.
  
• The homicides of young children (0-5 years) are committed largely by family members using beatings and suffocation and victimize boys and girls about equally.  A large portion of offenders are female.

Finkelhor, D. & Ormrod, R. (in press).  The homicides of children & youth.  Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Sexual Assault

• In 1996, the sexual assault victimization rate for youths under 18 was 2.7 times (or 170%) higher than for adults, or 3.2 per 1,000, compared to an adult rate of 1.2 per 1,000, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey.

A majority of sexual assaults reported to the police occur to juveniles.

• In 1995, 70% of forcible sex offenses and 95% of non-forcible sex offenses occurred against persons ages 0 through 17.

  1995 National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data analysis, CCRC, 1998.

• According to a self-report study, 51% of lifetime rapes occur prior to age 18, and 29% prior to age 12.

Kilpatrick, D.C., Edmunds, C., Seymour, A. 1992. "Rape in America: A Report to the Nation" from "The National Women’s Study" sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Victim’s Center and National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. Washington, DC.

U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. Changes in Criminal Victimization 1994 – 1995. 

U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. Criminal Victimization 1996: Changes 1995 – 1996 with Trends 1993 – 1996.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv96.htm

• Self-report studies suggest 20% of adult females and 5 to 10% of adult males recall a childhood sexual assault or sexual abuse incident.

Finkelhor, D. 1994. Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse. The Future of Children, 4(2):31-53. Center for the Future of Children, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

• Two-thirds of juveniles kidnapped by acquaintances are female, and most are teenagers.

Finkelhor, D., & Ormrod, R. (2000). Kidnapping of Juveniles: Patterns from NIBRS.  Washington, DC:  U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Juveniles are substantially more likely than adults to be assaulted.

• The assault rate for youth 12 through 17 is 2.8 times (or 176%) greater than for adults, or 80 per 1,000 versus 29 per 1,000, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey for 1996.

  U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. Criminal Victimization 1996: Changes 1995-1996 with Trends 1993-1996.

  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv96.htm

• Other self-report surveys suggest the actual assault rate for youth is higher than estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Annual estimates for youth assault victimization from other surveys are as follows:

Wells, L.E.,& Rankin, J .H. 1995. Juvenile Victimization: Convergent Validation of Alternative Measurements. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 32(3):287-307

Finkelhor, D. & Dziuba-Leatherman, J. 1994. Children as Victims of Violence: A National Survey. Pediatrics, 94(4):413-420.

• Juveniles under age 12 also have high assault victimization rates, according to several national and local studies.

  Finkelhor, D. 1998. A comparison of the responses of preadolescents and adolescents in a national victimization survey. Journal of Interpsersonal Violence, 13(3), 362-382.

School is the most common location for juvenile property victimizations.

• In 1996/1997, 54% of juvenile property victimizations happened at or on the way to and from school.
  
• The next most risky place was a juvenile's home, which saw only 12% of property victimizations.

Juvenile property crimes are different from adult property crimes.

• Juveniles are much more likely than adults to have bicycles, clothing, collections and electronic gear stolen.
  
• Many items reported as stolen from adults are communal property such as TV's, appliances, and autos, whose loss impacts juveniles as well as adults in a household.
  
• The majority (59%) of items stolen from juveniles are valued at under $50, while the majority (63%) of items taken from adults are worth more than $50.

Few juvenile property crime victimizations get reported to police.

• Only 13% of all juvenile property victimizations get reported.
  
• Reporting can improve the chances of recovering stolen items: 26% of juvenile property victimizations reported to police had items recovered versus only 14% of incidents not reported.

Property crime rated are declining.

• Property crime rates for both juveniles and adults dropped 20-25% between 1993 and 1997.

Large numbers of children are abused and neglected.

• The estimated number of substantiated cases of child maltreatment in 1998 was 1,009,000.

• The estimated rate of substantiated cases of child maltreatment in 1998 was 14 per 1,000 children.

• Approximately two additional children are reported for suspicion of child abuse and neglect for every allegation that is substantiated.

• The total number of children reported for suspicion of child abuse and neglect in 1998 was 3,154,000. This is a rate of 45 per 1,000 children.

  National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. 1999. Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The results of the 1998 Annual Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL: National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.

  http://www.childabuse.org/50data97.html

After growing dramatically between 1976 and 1992, rates of child maltreatment reports and substantiations have been at a plateau since 1992.

• Trends in Reporting Rates (per 1,000)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. 1993 and 1999. Child Maltreatment (1993,1997): Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

• Trends in Substantiated Child Abuse Cases: Numbers and Rates per 1,000

National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. 1990 through 1997. Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The results of the (1990-1998) Annual Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL: National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.

http://www.childabuse.org/50data97.html

The National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-3) showed child abuse had increased by 67% in 1993 compared to 1986.

• The number of children abused or neglected in 1986 was 931,000; in 1993 the number of children was 1,553,800. (This is a two point estimate that does not reflect the flattening trend since 1992. The NIS-3 number for 1993 is higher than the number reported in the Annual Fifty State Survey because it included cases not known to child protection agencies.)

  Sedlak, A., & Broadhurst, D. 1996. The Executive Summary of the Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-3). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

  http://www.calib.com/nccanch/pubs/nis3.txt

Only a small proportion of child maltreatment victims are removed from their homes.

• Placement occurred in 16% of child maltreatment substantiations in 1997.

  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. 1999. Child Maltreatment 1997: Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

Approximately 192,000 cases of child physical abuse were substantiated in 1998.

• Physical abuse constituted 19% of all child maltreatment substantiations for 1998.

  National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. 1999. Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The results of the 1998 Annual Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL: National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.

  http://www.childabuse.org/50data97.html

• Child physical abuse substantiations fell somewhat after 1992:

CCRC projections based on estimates from, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. 1993 through 1996. Child Maltreatment (1993 - 1997): Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

Approximately 101,000 cases of child sexual abuse were substantiated in 1998.

• Child sexual abuse constituted about 10% of all child maltreatment cases substantiated.

Child sexual abuse substantiations have declined in recent years.

• In 1986, child sexual abuse cases were 16% of all reported cases. In 1998, child sexual abuse cases were 10% of all reported cases.

National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.  1999.  Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The results of the 19988 Annual Fifty State Survey.  Chicago, IL:  National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.

http://www.childabuse.org/50data97.html

CCRC projections based on estimates from, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. 1992 through 1996. Child Maltreatment (1992 - 1999): Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/

Child Neglect

Approximately 569,000 cases of child neglect were substantiated in 1997.

• Neglect constitutes 54% of all substantiated cases. It is the most common type of reported and substantiated maltreatment.

National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. 1998. Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The results of the 1997 Annual Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL: National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.

http://www.childabuse.org/50data97.html

• There has been no clear trend in rate per 1000 of substantiated neglect cases.

1990: 7.6

1991: 7.7

1992: 7.7

1993: 6.8

1994: 7.8

1995: 7.5

1996: 7.2

1997: 7.5

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. 1992 through 1997. Child Maltreatment (1992 - 1997): Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/

In-School Compared to Out-of-School Victimizations, 1997

* serious violent = sexual assault, rape, robbery or aggravated assault

**violent = serious violent and simple assault

The victimization rate for crime in school declined from 1993 to1997 .

• From 1993 to 1997, the in-school victimization rate for all crimes declined from 155 to 102 incidents per 1,000 students, ages 12 through 18.
  

• From 1993 to 1997, the in-school rate for serious violent crimes declined from 13 to 8 incidents per 1,000 students.

National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics. 1999. Indicators of School Crime and Safety 1999. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=98251

In-school homicides are rare.

• In the 1997-1998 school year, there were 58 violent deaths in schools and on school grounds in the United States. (This figure includes deaths of adults, homicides by adults and suicides of both youth and adults.)

1999 Annual Report on School Safety.  U.S. Department of Education and Justice.

Most schools have no serious violence in a typical year.

• Ninety percent of over 1200 public school principals in a national sample reported no incidents of serious violent crime (murder, suicide, rape or sexual battery, robbery or physical attack with a weapon) during the 1996-1997 school year.

• The overall rate of serious violent crimes in school was 50 per 100,000 students, during the 1996-1997 school year.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 1998. Violence and Discipline Problems in U.S. Public schools 1996-1997.

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=98030

There has been little change in school victimization rates.

• An annual nationwide survey of 12 through 19 year old students found only a .1 % (from 14.5% to 14.6%) change in victimization rates in school from 1989 to 1995. (In this survey victimization included physical assault, robbery and theft.)

Victimization rates for high school seniors changed little between 1976 and 1996.

• The most common type of victimization at school reported by high school seniors in both 1976 and 1996 was having something stolen.

National Center for Education Statistics. 1998. The Condition of Education 1998.

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=98013

Data from the Monitoring the Future Study.

http://www.isr.umich.edu/src/mtf/index.html

However, fear of victimization in school has increased.

• In 1989, 6% of middle and high school students reported they feared being attacked or harmed in school. This rose to 9% in 1995.

• The percentage of students reporting street gang presence at school nearly doubled between 1989 and 1995, from 15.3% to 28.4%.

U.S. Department of Justice. 1998. Student’s Reports of School Crime: 1989-1995. From 1995 School Crime Supplement to the NCVS. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/srsc.htm

Also, bullying is a problem in many schools.

• Eight percent of students in grades six through grades twelve report they are bullied at school. Bullying is defined as being "picked on a lot" or being made to give up money or other items.

• Bullying is more of a problem for younger students. Over 13% of sixth-graders say they are bullied, compared to about 3% of twelfth-graders.

National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics. 1998. Indicators of School Crime and Safety 1998. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=98251

• Some studies suggest that about 10% of school children are chronically abused by peers.

Hodges, E.V. & Perry, P. 1996. Victims of Peer Abuse. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 5(1), 23-28