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What are the factsabout child abuse?■ Children in the United States

are more likely to be victimizedviolently in their own homes thanon the streets. (Current Trends in Child AbusePrevention, Reporting, and Fatalities: The 1997Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL: PreventChild Abuse America, 1999)

■ In 1997, 47 out of 1,000 children were

reported abused or neglected and 15 childrenout of 1,000 were confirmed as abused orneglected. (Current Trends in Child AbusePrevention, Reporting, and Fatalities: The 1997Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL: PreventChild Abuse America, 1999)

■ A survey of adolescent boys’ health revealed

that one in eight high school boys had beenphysically and/or sexually abused. Sixty-sixpercent of boys who reported physical abusesaid it occurred at home. Of sexually abusedboys, 35 percent said the abuse happened athome. Forty-eight percent of physically orsexually abused boys said they had not talkedto anyone about their abuse, and only 7 percent had discussed their abuse with a doctor.(The Health of Adolescent Boys: Commonwealth Fund Survey Findings. New York, NY:The Commonwealth Fund, 1998)

■ One in five high school girls surveyed reported that she had been physically or sexually

abused. Fifty-three percent of the abuseoccurred at home, and 65 percent of the girlssaid it happened more than once. Twentynine percent of girls who had been physicallyor sexually abused had not told anyone aboutthe abuse. Forty-six percent of abused girlshad symptoms of depression, which is morethan twice the rate of girls who said they

This brochure was developed by the National Center for 

Victims of Crime under a project supported by Grant No.

97–VF–GX–K007 awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime,

Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Points of view in this document are those of the author

and do not necessarily represent the official position

or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

had not been abused (18 percent). Abusedgirls are also at double the risk for signs ofeating disorders. (The Commonwealth FundSurvey of the Health of Adolescent Girls. NewYork, NY: The Commonwealth Fund, 1997)

Resources for Information

and Assistance

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline

1–800–4–A–CHILD or 1–800–422–4453

www.childhelpusa.org

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

1–800–843–5678

www.missingkids.org

National Center for Victims of Crime

1–800–FYI–CALL or 1–800–394–2255

www.ncvc.org

National Children’s Alliance

Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers

1–800–239–9950

www.nca-online.org

National Organization for Victim Assistance

1–800–TRY–NOVA or 1–800–879–6682

www.try-nova.org

National Runaway Switchboard

1–800–621–4000

Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center

1–800–627–6872

TTY 1–877–712–9279

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ovcres/welcome.html
Child abuse isn’t something that only happens to

little kids. Some kids who are abused by their parents have been abused for as long as they canremember. For others, the abuse started whenthey got older. Almost half of the reported casesof child abuse and neglect involve teenagers.What is child abuse?Child abuse occurs when a parent, family member, or caretaker physically hurts a child or adolescent, makes that youth feel worthless, hassexual contact with him or her, or does not provide adequate food, care, or shelter. Child abusecan happen in all types of families, and in mostcases, the abuser is related to the victim. Everystate has laws against child abuse.Most people agree that acts that threaten ayoung person’s life or cause serious injury arephysical abuse. Some people disagree over thedifference between a spanking, which some seeas an acceptable form of discipline, and a beating. When punishment is very severe or leavesbruises or other injuries, then it’s no longer discipline—it’s child abuse, and it should stop.All forms of child abuse, including emotional abuse,cause the victim pain and suffering.Sexual abuse occurs when an adult forces, threatens, or induces a young person intoany kind of sexual contact. Itincludes direct physical contact and nontouching sexual“contact,” such as when ayoung person is persuaded toview obscene materials.Teenagers can be sexuallyabused by someone they know orby a stranger. They also can be abusers.

Always trust your feelings. If you become uncomfortable in a situation, assertively ask the personto stop or leave. Don’t worry about hurtingsomeone’s feelings.Incest is a form of sexual abuse that is defined asany sexual contact or behavior between familymembers. The most common form of incestoccurs between an older family member—a parent, stepparent, uncle, or cousin—and a child orteenager. Incest can happen to girls and boys.The best way to stop incest is to tell someone.Emotional abuse can include swearing at, yellingat, or insulting a young person, usually over andover again. It also can include denying a youngperson basic emotional needs, such as affectionor security. Emotional abuse often accompaniesphysical and sexual abuse. Experts consider emotional abuse to be very serious, especially becausevictims feel bad about themselves.Criminal neglect is when a parent does not provide care for a young person’s safety andhealth—necessities like food, proper clothing, aplace to live, or medical care. Leaving kids alonefor long periods or kicking them out of the housealso can be interpreted as neglect.Young people often blame themselves for the familycrisis brought on by abuse, but it is not their fault.From time to time, all parents and children haveproblems, but most parents or adults do not abusetheir children. Most parents who abuse their children love their children but never learned how tochannel their anger, frustration, or sexual expressions in mature and responsible ways.Abuse and neglect affect the way young peopleview themselves and the rest of the world. Manypeople who were abused as children find it hard as

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