Indicator: 5 - Child Abuse & Neglect

Why This Is Important

Young people, especially young children, are dependent upon adults for their basic safety needs. Young people who are victims of abuse and/or neglect have difficulty developing through the passages of childhood and adolescence to being adults. In addition, sometimes victims of abuse or neglect perpetrate those same actions on others.

Where We Stand

The Maine Bureau of Child and Family Services received roughly 14,000 - 16,000 reports of possible child abuse or neglect annually from 1998 to 2001. Of these, about 60% of the reports each year were judged to meet legal criteria allowing investigation by Child Protective Services. In about one-quarter of those, the investigation led to a conclusion that abuse or neglect had in fact occurred (that is, the report was “substantiated”).

Data Sources and Context

Data comes from the Bureau of Child and Family Services, Maine Department of Human Services, and is reported in the Maine Kids Count Data Books for 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. These are available on-line at http://www.mekids.org.