Injuries From Physical Abuse: National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence I–III

• Published in: American journal of preventive medicine 2018-01, Vol.54 (1), p.129-132
• Main Authors: Simon, Thomas R., Shattuck, Anne, Kacha-Ochana, Akadia, David-Ferdon, Corinne F., Hamby, Sherry, Henly, Megan, Merrick, Melissa T., Turner, Heather A., Finkelhor, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abused children; Adolescent; Bones; Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; Child; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Child care; Child, Preschool; Childhood; Children; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data; Data sources; Disability; Domestic violence; Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data; Ethnicity; Exposure to Violence - statistics & numerical data; Family; Family structure; Fear & phobias; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Injuries; Male; Pain; Policy making; Polls & surveys; Race; Racial differences; Risk Factors; Self report; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telephone surveys; Victims; Violence; Wounds and Injuries
• ISSN: 0749-3797; 1873-2607
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.08.031

Official data sources do not provide researchers, practitioners, and policy makers with complete information on physical injury from child abuse. This analysis provides a national estimate of the percentage of children who were injured during their most recent incident of physical abuse. Pooled data from three cross-sectional national telephone survey samples (N=13,052 children) included in the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence completed in 2008, 2011, and 2014 were used. Analyses completed in 2016 indicate that 8.4% of children experienced physical abuse by a caregiver. Among those with injury data, 42.6% were injured in the most recent incident. No differences in injury were observed by sex, age, race/ethnicity, or disability status. Victims living with two parents were less likely to be injured (27.1%) than those living in other family structures (53.8%–59%, p