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

The NIS–3 found significant increases in both physical and emotional neglectunder the Endangerment Standard. The differences in Table 3–3 between the NIS–2 andNIS–4 incidence rates reflect these earlier increases as well as the additional increase inEndangerment Standard emotional neglect that occurred since the NIS–3, as noted above.Thus, Endangerment Standard physical neglect and emotional neglect were bothsignificantly higher in the NIS–4 2005–2005 study year than they were in 1986 at thetime of the NIS–2. Specifically, the total number of children who suffered emotionalneglect was 478% higher, while the number of children who suffered physical neglectwas 135% higher. In terms of incidence rates, there was a 397% increase in the rate ofemotional neglect and a 100% increase in the rate of physical neglect under theEndangerment Standard since 1986. As mentioned earlier, statistical tests show that therate of educational neglect has not changed since the NIS–2.3.2.5 Severity of Outcomes from Endangerment StandardMaltreatmentChildren are classified on the basis of the most severe injury or harm theysuffered from Endangerment Standard maltreatment. Table 3–4 presents theirdistribution across different degrees of injury/impairment. Because each maltreated childappears in only one row of this table, the row entries sum to the total number of childrenwho were countable under the Endangerment Standard. 34 This section follows the logicalsequence used in preceding sections. The discussion first describes estimates themselves.Next, the presentation examines the Endangerment Standard estimates in relation to theHarm Standard estimates, identifying the percentage of the Endangerment Standardestimate that reflects children who were countable under both standards. The finalparagraphs compare the NIS–4 Endangerment Standard estimates with those from theNIS–2 and NIS–3, describing notable changes in incidence across the three studies.34Compare Table 3–4 “Total” with “All Maltreatment” in Table 3–3.3–21