Characteristics of fatality victims of child maltreatment, 2010

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

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Child Maltreatment

Q:	What are the characteristics of fatality victims of child maltreatment?
A:	In 2010, an estimated 1,560 children died as a result of maltreatment.

Estimated number of victims	1,560

Fatality rate*	2.1

Age
Under 1	48%
1	14%
2	12%
3	6%
4 to 7	11%
8 to 11	4%
12 to 17	6%

Gender
Male	57%
Female	43%
Unkown/missing	0%

Race/ethnicity
White	44%
Black	28%
Hispanic	17%
American Indian/Alaskan Native	1%
Asian/Pacific Islander	1%
Other/multiple race	4%
Unknown/missing	6%

Perpetrator relationship to victim
Mother only	29%
Father only	17%
Mother and father	22%
Mother and other	9%
Father and other	2%
Nonparent	11%
Other/unknown	10%

Notes: *Rate is per 100,000 children under 18 in the U.S. population. This table is based on sample data reported by a varying number of states. The number and rate of fatalities have been increasing during the past 5 years. Because the national estimate of child fatalities is influenced by which states report, even small fluctuations in the data can affect the national estimate and the national rate.

[ Excel file ]

Infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 3) accounted for 80% of child fatality victims in 2010.
Nearly four of every five child fatalities (79%) in 2010 were caused by one or more parents; about 29% were perpetrated by the mother acting alone.
Two of every five (41%) of fatalities in 2010 were the result of combinations of maltreatment types, one-third (33%) were a result of neglect, and one-quarter (23%) were the result of physical abuse.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02109.asp?qaDate=2010. Released on March 05, 2012.

Data Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families. Child Maltreatment 2010. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2011.