LESSON 3.4

Children’s Health in the U.S. – Part 1

Child Maltreatment – 2013

Rates of substantiated reports of child maltreatment:

  • Overall = 10/1000 children 0-17 years of age
  • Higher rates were noted in younger compared to older children
  • Rate in children < 1 year of age = 24/1000 (more than double that of older children)

Source: FIFCFS, 2015

Substantiated child maltreatment indicates that the abusive event was documented and categorized as maltreatment. However, these numbers do not reflect those maltreatments that have not been documented. In general, the corporal punishment of children by parents, unless categorized as being excessive or life threatening, is not considered to be a crime. However, a physical act of aggression of one adult towards another adult is considered to be a crime. There are health professional organizations that are reviewing the corporal punishment of children and the long-term consequences associated with this in order to develop policy statements about the inappropriateness of such practices to discipline children.