Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse, & Neglect Facts:
The Office of Violence Against Women acknowledes that at least 40% of Domestic Violence is perpetrated by women. Who are the perpetrators of child abuse? Approximately 40 percent of child victims were maltreated by their mothers acting alone; another 18.3 percent were maltreated by their fathers acting alone; 17.3 percent were abused by both parents (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2007).
Children who had been physically abused by parent-substitutes were much more likely to have been abused by their father-substitute 90% versus 19% by their mother-substitute (Source: Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect; NIS-3).
Children were more often neglected by female perpetrators 87% versus 43% by males (Source: Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect; NIS-3).
Compared with their counterparts living with both parents, children in single-parent families had:
- A 77-percent greater risk of being harmed by physical abuse (using the stringent Harm Standard) and a 63-percent greater risk of experiencing any countable physical abuse (using the Endangerment Standard).
- An 87-percent greater risk of being harmed by physical neglect and a 165-percent greater risk of experiencing any countable physical neglect.
- A 74-percent greater risk of being harmed by emotional neglect and a 64-percent greater risk of experiencing any countable emotional neglect.
- A 220-percent (or more than three times) greater risk of being educationally neglected.
- An approximately 80-percent greater risk of suffering serious injury or harm from abuse or neglect.
- An approximately 90-percent greater risk of receiving moderate injury or harm as a result of child maltreatment.
- A 120-percent (or more than two times) greater risk of being endangered by some type of child abuse or neglect.
(Source: Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect; NIS-3 & www.iowafathers.com)
