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

maltreatment at a reliably higher rate than those living with one parent without a partner(33.0 versus 14.8 children per 1,000), a statistically marginal difference.Inferred harm. 75 Although the rates of this outcome appear small, therelative differences across the subgroups are considerable and statistically reliable.Children living in any circumstance other than with their two married biological parentshad significantly higher risks of inferred harm from Harm Standard maltreatmentcompared to children living with their two married biological parents. Consistent withthe patterns for other categories of maltreatment and outcome, the highest risk was forchildren whose single parent had an unmarried partner (3.3 per 1,000). These childrenexperienced maltreatment that warranted the inference they were harmed at 33 times therate of children living with two married biological parents.Changes since the NIS–3 in the Distribution of Harm StandardMaltreatment Related to Family StructureThe NIS–3 did not obtain information about marital status or the presence ofan unmarried partner, so analyses could only assess changes in the incidence of HarmStandard maltreatment in relation to whether one or two parents were present in thehousehold. Further, because the NIS–3 included too few sample children who lived withneither parent to provide reliable estimates for most maltreatment categories, 76 thebetween-study analyses compared changes in maltreatment rates for two categories ofchildren: those living with two parents and those living with a single parent. 77Harm Standard maltreatment. Figure 5–5 shows significant changes sincethe NIS–3 in the overall incidence of Harm Standard maltreatment in relation to thisbinary family structure classification. Whereas incidence rates increased for children75 Except for children who lived with a single parent who had no partner, estimates for children in all otherconditions are less reliable because each derives from fewer than 100 sample children.76 NIS–3 data include fewer than 100 sample children who meet the Harm Standard requirements.Endangerment Standard estimates in the NIS–4 derive from fewer than 100 sample children in all but twocategories: overall maltreatment and all abuse.77 The definition of “parent” here includes step-parents and adoptive parents as well as all biologicalparents, regardless of their marital status. Appendix E provides the actual estimates and results of thestatistical tests.5–26