Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in substantiated child maltreatment: A state-level analysis of U.S. incidence rates

Abstract

The scope of the problem of child maltreatment warrants more nuanced epidemiologic investigation. Our study examined state-level rates of child maltreatment (i.e., child physical abuse, child sexual abuse, neglect) by race, ethnicity, and gender. We used 3,972,565 million cases of child physical and sexual abuse and neglect from the 2018 U.S. National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Disparity ratios and raw differential representation values were calculated for racial and ethnic groups by gender as compared with White or non-Latine children within the same gender category. Within child physical abuse cases, Black and multiracial children were more likely to have cases substantiated compared with White children. Conversely, neglect cases were generally associated with lower rates of substantiation for Black girls and boys compared with White children in most states. Substantiation rates were also lower for Black girls within child sexual abuse cases in most states. Latine boys were typically less likely to have physical abuse cases substantiated and Latine girls were typically more likely to have sexual abuse cases substantiated compared with non-Latine children; rates of neglect were not consistently disparate by ethnicity. Findings demonstrate the importance of examining race, ethnicity, and gender in child abuse and neglect case dispositions. Consistent patterns in disparities were evident across many states, which may have important implications for state-level policies and disparity reduction strategies. Future research should extend and replicate successful efforts, and develop and test promising new methods, to prevent disparities in child abuse and neglect case processing.