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

total of 193,400 children (equivalent to 2.6 children per 1,000 in the general 2005–2006child population).Educational neglect. Children are included in this category when theirparent (or parent-substitute) knowingly permits their chronic truancy an average of atleast 5 days per month; exhibits a pattern of keeping the child home without legitimatereason; fails to register or enroll a school-age child in school in violation of state law; orrefuses to allow or provide needed attention for a diagnosed educational problem,learning disorder, or other special education need. In all such cases, if the evidencesupports the conclusion that the acts or omissions in question occurred, then the child iscountable as educationally neglected and the NIS guidelines permit assuming that thechild experienced moderate educational harm.As Table 3–1 shows, educational neglect was the most prevalent category ofneglect, affecting an estimated 360,500 children, or 4.9 children per 1,000 in 2005–2006,which represents 47% of all children who experienced Harm Standard neglect.Changes since the NIS–3 and NIS–2 in the incidence of Harm Standardneglect. Despite the apparent differences in estimated totals and incidence rates, nostatistically reliable changes since the NIS–3 occurred in any Harm Standard neglectcategory.The NIS–3 found significant increases from the NIS–2 in the incidence ofboth Harm Standard physical neglect and Harm Standard emotional neglect. The NIS–4indicates that the 2005–2006 rates of these maltreatment categories were still elevatedrelative to their 1986 levels, but only emotional neglect was still significantly higher thanits NIS–2 level. The estimated number of children who suffered Harm Standardemotional neglect in 2005–2006 is nearly four times as large as the 1986 estimate. Therewas a 293% increase in the total number of emotionally neglected children from the timeof the NIS–2, and a 225% increase in the incidence rate. Harm Standard physical neglectwas still higher than its 1986 level, by 76% in the number of children affected and by48% in the incidence rate per 1,000 children (2.7 versus 4.0 per 1,000 children). Thisdifference is statistically marginal.Educational neglect is the only Harm Standard maltreatment category that didnot demonstrate any significant or statistically marginal changes since the NIS–2.3–10