Child Abuse Statistics

International & U.S.

Child abuse does not discriminate based on gender, social standing, ethnicity, or religion. The child abuse statistics gathered on Ark of

Hope for Children's site bring a sobering reality to the plight of victimized children. International child abuse statistics are difficult to come by due to the difficulty in keeping track of numbers even in "financially sound" countries. Many countries keep no or inadequate records.

The time is long past for adults to take a stand for the children. We must be willing to throw ourselves in harm's way to save them, but then to provide the long term care these victimized children and young adults need to recover and thrive. Ark of Hope for Children is dedicated to providing care as you can read on other pages on our site.

Statistics compiled by Ark of Hope for Children

Gainesville, FL This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

International Statistics on Child Abuse

• 40 million children subjected to abuse each year. 
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents worldwide.
• 30% of severely disabled children in special homes in the Ukraine die before 18 years of age.
• Approximately 20% of women and 5–10% of men report being sexually abused as children, while 25–50% of all children report being physically abused. 
• Statistics indicate that 3 million young girls are subjected to genital mutilation every year.

U.S. Statistics on Child Abuse

The United States is much more capable of gathering and maintaining statistics of all types. 

Physical Abuse:

Acts considered to be physical abuse are punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, breaking of bones, hair pulling, and shaking an infant. Bruises in areas that usually do not occur during normal play = cheeks, ears, mouth, buttocks, thighs, stomach, and back.

Neglect:

Neglect makes up for 78% of all cases of child abuse, and is greatly under-reported and often unnoticed by others who care for the child. Neglect includes inadequate nutrition, clothing and hygene; medical neglect, being left unattended in a car, and abandonment.

Sexual Abuse:

• Child rape occurs every two minutes
• 1 in 3 girls will be sexually molested before the age 17
• 1 in 6 boys will be sexually molested before the age 17 (1 in 5 in Canada)
• Sex offenders have been known to molest as many as 120+ victims, most of whom do not report it
• 90% of molesters abuse children they know
• Oftentimes, a sexually abused child is abused in other ways

Overall U.S. child abuse statistics:

• Every 10 seconds a child is abused or raped
• 3.3 million child abuse reports in 2010
• For every report 2 more go unreported = many millions abused annually
• 61,000 reports to Child Protective services per week = 6 per minute
• Of 1.5 million runaways 85% are fleeing some form of abuse
• Only 10% of abusers do not know their abuser well
• Abuse victims = about 48% male, 52% female
• Every race and religion sees child abuse

The effects of UNTREATED child abuse:

• 38% increase arrest rate for violent crimes
• 84% of all prison inmates are estimated to having been abused as a child (anonymous source)
• 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile
• 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult
• 30% more likely to commit violent crime
• 65%+ of people addidted to or in treatment for drug abuse are estimated to have been maltreated as a child (anonymous ACE's source)
• 25% less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at a greater risk for STD's
• 82% CAN grow up to be pedophiles themselves
• 80% meet criteria for at least one psychological disorder as adults
• Long-term consequences such as chronic illness due to untreated wounds

Child death and suicide related to abuse:

• 1,850 children die a year from some form of child abuse = 7+ children a day in the U.S. alone!
• 80% of the children that die each day are under the age of four
• TODAY 6 children will commit suicide due to child abuse
• Estimated 60% of child deaths caused by child abuse are not recorded as such on death certificates 

 Read next: What are the needs of Child Abuse victims and survivors?

Source: National and State Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics - www.childwelfare.gov

            FBI Violent Crimes Against Children - www.fbi.gov

            United States Department Of Justice - www.justice.gov

            United Nations Office On Drugs And Crime - www.unodc.org