Maltreatment of children with disabilities in the United States

In 2019, there were 137,751 cases reported to Child Protective Services in which the child victim had one or more disabilities. Emotional disabilities (e.g. schizophrenia, autism, depressive disorders) were the most common, occurring in 47% of the cases, followed by Learning disabilities. Male children were more likely (55%) than female children (45%) to have a disability, and children with a mental disability were older at the time of the report than children without a mental disability. Overall, 22.5% of all cases were substantiated, and the figure was slightly higher for disabled children relative to non-disabled children. The most common form of maltreatment was neglect (57% of cases), followed by physical (29%), sexual (8%), and emotional (6%) abuse. By shedding light on the unique characteristics of children with disabilities who are victims of maltreatment, this research has important implications for policy and practice aimed at improving the safety and well-being of vulnerable children.