Child Abuse Statistics

In Utah

In FY 20, the Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS) received 40,364 reports of child abuse and neglect.  20,713 of the reports were accepted for formal CPS assessment.  A total of 7,334 confirmed CPS reports of abuse and neglect resulted in 10,654 confirmed child victims.

Of those cases, supported allegations included the following:

• 21.6% Child Endangerment
• 20.7% Domestic Violence Related Child Abuse
• 14.3% Sexual Abuse
• 11.8% Other Neglect
• 9.9% Physical Abuse
• 6.1% Physical Neglect
• 5.5% Emotional Abuse
• 3.8% Fetal Exposure to Alcohol or Other Substance Use
• 3.7% Non-Supervision
• 1.3% Dependency
• 0.9% Other Abuse
• 0.4% Medical Neglect

Data from the 2020 Utah DCFS Annual Report: https://dcfs.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/DCFS-2020-Annual-Report.pdf

Nationally

• During FFY 2019, CPS agencies received a national estimate of 4.4 million total referrals alleging abuse and neglect involving approximately 7.9 million children.
• For FFY 2019, there are nationally 656,000 (rounded) victims of child abuse and neglect. Victim demographics include:
  • Children in their first year of life have the highest rate of victimization
  • Girls were victimized at a slightly higher rate than boys.
• The majority of perpetrators are a parent to their victim.

Data from the 2019 Child Maltreatment Report: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2019.pdf

Disclosure of child sexual abuse is a process. It is estimated that only 1 in 10 child victims disclose abuse. A large percentage of children do not disclose abuse until adulthood, if at all.  See our Shine Campaign tab for resources for survivors.