Relating age of victim and gender of the perpetrator, 1996

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Working for Youth Justice and Safety

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Child Maltreatment

Q:	Is there a relationship between the sex of the perpetrator and the age of the victim in cases of child maltreatment?
A:	As the primary provider of child care, females were the perpetrators in most cases of maltreatment.

	Percent of Perpetrators
Victim age	Male only		Female only		Mixed: male and female		All

0 to 17	22	%	54	%	24	%	100	%
Less than 1	5		70		25		100
1 to 5	16		58		25		100
6 to 11	25		52		24		100
12 to 17	35		42		23		100

Note: Detail may not total 100% due to rounding. The male proportion includes cases with at least one male perpetrator and no females. The female proportion includes cases with at least one female perpetrator and no males. The mixed proportion includes cases with at least one male and one female perpetrator. It should be noted that cases identifying multiple perpetrators do not imply equal involvement of each perpetrator.

[ Excel file ]

In 1996, over one-half (54%) of maltreatment cases involved only female perpetrators, and about one-quarter (24%) involved both male and female perpetrators. As a result, at least one female was identified as a perpetrator in more than 3 in 4 maltreatment cases (78%). In contrast, at least one male was identifed as a perpetrator in about 1 in 2 cases (46%).
Male perpetrators were more common in maltreatment cases involving older victims. For example, at least one male was identified as the perpetrator in 30% of cases involving victims under the age of 1, compared to 58% of cases involving victims ages 12–17.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02104.asp?qaDate=19990930. Released on September 30, 1999.

Adapted from Snyder, H. & Sickmund, M. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report, p. 46. Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1999.

Data Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau. National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System [unpublished data from the detailed data component]. 1998.