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

their needs for food, clothing, or personal hygiene; or demonstrated disregard for theirsafety. Physically neglected children represent the largest group under EndangermentStandard neglect, with an estimated 1,192,200 children physically neglected in the 2005–2006 study year. This reflects an incidence rate of 16.2 children per 1,000 in the generalpopulation, or 1.6 children per 100, which is equivalent to one in every 62 children in theUnited States.Emotional neglect. Emotionally neglected children represent the secondlargestsector of neglected children under the Endangerment Standard. This categoryincluded an estimated total of 1,173,800 children, which is equivalent to 15.9 children per1,000 in the general child population during the 2005–2006 study year.Educational neglect. The NIS definitions of educational neglect areidentical under the Harm and Endangerment standards, so the estimates are the same inTables 3-1 and 3-3. Educational neglect is the least prevalent of the three specificEndangerment Standard neglect categories, affecting an estimated 360,500 children, or4.9 children per 1,000 in the 2005–2006 study year.Comparison with Harm Standard neglect estimates. Estimates for bothphysical neglect and emotional neglect are higher with the more lenient EndangermentStandard criteria than with the more restrictive Harm Standard requirements. Comparedto the corresponding Harm Standard estimates, the estimated incidence of physicalneglect using the Endangerment Standard is more than four times greater (305% higher),while the estimated incidence of emotional neglect using the Endangerment Standard ismore than six times greater (507% higher). Harm Standard children represent 25% ofthose countable under Endangerment Standard physical neglect, and 16% of those whoexperienced Endangerment Standard emotional neglect.Changes since 1986 in the incidence of Endangerment Standard neglect.The incidence of emotional neglect evidenced a substantial and significant increase sincethe NIS–3. The estimated number of children who suffered Endangerment Standardemotional neglect increased 101%, corresponding to an 83% rise in the incidence rate per1,000 children. This means that a child had more than one and four-fifths times higherrisk of this maltreatment in 2005–2006 than his or her counterpart had in 1993. Thechanges between the NIS–3 and the NIS–4 in physical neglect and educational neglectare not statistically significant.3–20