Child abuse and neglect affect children of all ages. Among children confirmed as victims by CPS agencies in 1997, more than half were 7 years of age or younger, with about 26 percent younger than 4 years old. Case-level data from 16 States suggest that the majority of victims of neglect and medical neglect were younger than 8 years old, while the majority of victims of other types of maltreatment were age 8 or older. Both boys and girls experience child maltreatment. In 1997, about 52 percent of victims were female and 48 percent were male.
Child maltreatment can result in the death of a child.
Case-level data suggest that 77 percent of these children were 3 years of age or younger. Not all child maltreatment fatalities are reported to CPS agencies. Several studies suggest that even more children suffer from abuse or neglect than are seen through official statistics from State CPS agencies. Based on reports received and investigated by CPS agencies in 1997, about 13.9 children per 1,000 children younger than 18 in the general population were found to be victims of abuse or neglect. A 1995 telephone survey of parents conducted by the Gallup Poll estimated that as many as 49 children per 1,000 in the population suffered physical abuse and 19 per 1,000 suffered sexual abuse.