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

An estimated 2,905,800 children experienced some form of EndangermentStandard maltreatment during the 2005–2006 study year. This corresponds to anincidence rate of 39.5 children per 1,000, which is equivalent to about 4 children per 100,or one child in 25 in the general U.S. child population.Comparison with the Harm Standard estimate of all maltreatedchildren. The Endangerment Standard included an additional 1,649,200 maltreatedchildren, beyond those who were countable under the Harm Standard. TheEndangerment Standard estimate of the maltreated population of 2,905,800 (or 39.5 per1,000) is 131% higher than the Harm Standard estimate of 1,256,600 (or 17.1 per 1,000).An alternative way of viewing this is to note that Harm Standard children represent 43%of the Endangerment Standard estimate of all maltreated children.Changes since 1986 in the incidence of Endangerment Standardmaltreatment. The right-hand section in Table 3–3 reveals that the NIS–4 estimate ofEndangerment Standard maltreatment is not significantly different from the NIS–3 level,but is significantly higher than the NIS–2 level. In fact, the total number of children whoexperienced Endangerment Standard abuse or neglect more than doubled since the NIS–2(from 1,424,400 in 1986 to 2,905,800 in 2005–2006), while the incidence rate increasedby 75% (from 22.6 to 39.5 children per 1,000). This rise in the incidence means that achild had one and three-quarters times greater risk of experiencing EndangermentStandard abuse or neglect in 2005–2006 than in 1986.3.2.2 Incidence of Endangerment Standard Abuse and NeglectTable 3–3 also gives estimates for children who were abused or neglected.As with the Harm Standard, the Endangerment Standard abuse estimate includesphysical, sexual, and emotional abuse and the Endangerment Standard neglect estimateincludes physical, emotional, and educational neglect. However, the EndangermentStandard neglect estimate also includes forms of neglect that are not countable under theHarm Standard, such as lack of preventive health care, unspecified neglect allegations,and child support problems.An estimated 835,000 children experienced Endangerment Standard abuseand an estimated 2,251,600 children suffered Endangerment Standard neglect. These3–16