Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4)

Figure 5–1.Incidence of Harm Standard Maltreatment by Family Structure andLiving Arrangement.Abuse. The rate of Harm Standard abuse for children living with twomarried biological parents (2.9 children per 1,000) is significantly lower than the rate forchildren living in all other conditions of family structure and living arrangement (10.2 ormore children per 1,000). Again, the highest rate was among children living with justone parent and that parent’s unmarried partner (33.6 per 1,000 children). The rates in thehighest and lowest risk groups differ by more than a factor of 11.The risk of Harm Standard abuse for children whose single parent has anunmarried partner is more than twice that of children in three other circumstances. Theirrisk is significantly higher than the risks for children living with a single parent who hasno cohabiting partner (10.2 per 1,000 children), for children living with two unmarriedparents (12.1 per 1,000 children), and for those who live with neither parent (15.3 per1,000 children). The rate of Harm Standard abuse among children whose single parentlives with an unmarried partner is almost twice the rate for children living with othermarried parents (33.6 versus 17.4 children per 1,000), a statistically marginal difference.Children living with other married parents experienced Harm Standard abuseat a significantly higher rate than those living with a single parent with no partner (17.4versus 10.2 children per 1,000).5–20