National statistics indicate a decline in child abuse and neglect National statistics continue to indicate a decline in child abuse and neglect, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported in April. States had reported that just over 900,000 children were victims of child maltreatment in 1998. That number dropped to 826,000 in 1999. The incidence rate of children victimized by maltreatment also declined to 11.8 per 1,000 children, a decrease from the 1998 rate of 12.6 per 1,000. In a trend that began six years ago, the number of victimized children has decreased approximately 19.2 percent from a record of 1,018,692 in 1993.
Parents continue to be the main perpetrators of child maltreatment.
We will continue to encourage States to do everything they can to prevent child abuse and neglect. We must remain committed to ensuring that all children live in safe, permanent and loving homes. For the first time, an international human rights organization has defined domestic violence as a form of torture and a violation of international law. It concludes that governments should be held accountable for violence against women, regardless of where it occurs. As part of its campaign to end torture, AI holds states accountable for all acts of torture of women, whatever the context in which they are committed and whoever is the perpetrator.