Why have child maltreatment and child victimization declined?
Abstract
Various forms of child maltreatment and child victimization declined as much as 40–70% from 1993 until 2004, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and larceny. Other child welfare indicators also improved during the same period, including teen pregnancy, teen suicide, and children living in poverty. This article reviews a wide variety of possible explanations for these changes: demography, fertility and abortion legalization, economic prosperity, increased incarceration of offenders, increased agents of social intervention, changing social norms and practices, the dissipation of the social changes from the 1960s, and psychiatric pharmacology. Multiple factors probably contributed. In particular, economic prosperity, increasing agents of social intervention, and psychiatric pharmacology have advantages over some of the other explanations in accounting for the breadth and timing of the improvements.
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Our finding of a decline in child sexual abuse by those in the parent/caregiver class and by institutional caregivers is consistent with findings in the USA.
“Our finding of a decline in CSA by those in the parent/caregiver class and by institutional caregivers is consistent with findings in the USA”
From Child sexual abuse by different classes and types of perpetrator: Prevalence and trends from an Australian national survey (2024) · cites this paper as Finkelhor & Jones, 2006
Cites
Societal change and change in family violence from 1975 to 1985 as revealed by two national surveys
Straus, M. A., & Gelles, R. J. (1986) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.2307/352033 · Cited by 1,592 · see citing works
BRAGA, A. A., KENNEDY, D. M., WARING, E. J., & PIEHL, A. M. (2001) · Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency · doi:10.1177/0022427801038003001 · Cited by 589 · see citing works
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Global Prevalence of Past-year Violence Against Children: A Systematic Review and Minimum Estimates
Hillis, S., Mercy, J., Amobi, A., & Kress, H. (2016) · Pediatrics · doi:10.1542/peds.2015-4079 · Cited by 1,477 · see citing works
Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., Mitchell, K. J., & Ybarra, M. L. (2008) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.63.2.111 · Cited by 537 · see citing works
Self-citationLalor, K., & McElvaney, R. (2010) · Trauma, Violence, & Abuse · doi:10.1177/1524838010378299 · Cited by 376 · see citing works
Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Opportunities: Parenting, Programs, and the Reduction of Risk
Rudolph, J., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Shanley, D. C., & Hawkins, R. (2018) · Child Maltreatment · doi:10.1177/1077559517729479 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Prevention of sexual abuse through educational programs directed toward children
Finkelhor, D. (2007) · Pediatrics · doi:10.1542/peds.2007-0754 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Mathews, B., Finkelhor, D., Pacella, R., Scott, J. G., Higgins, D. J., Meinck, F., Erskine, H. E., Thomas, H. J., Lawrence, D., Malacova, E., et al. (2024) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106562 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Self-citationOscea Hawkins, A., Kmett Danielson, C., de Arellano, M. A., Hanson, R. F., Ruggiero, K. J., Smith, D. W., Saunders, B. E., & Kilpatrick, D. G. (2010) · Child Maltreatment · doi:10.1177/1077559510367938 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Children’s Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse
Finkel, M. A. (2012) · Pediatric Annals · doi:10.3928/00904481-20121126-10 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
- Authors
- Finkelhor, D., & Jones, L.
- Affiliations
- University of New Hampshire (US)
- ORCID
- Jones, Lisa
- Venue
- Journal of Social Issues
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-10-30
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 685-716
- ISSN
- 0022-4537 (ISSN-L)
- 1540-4560
- OpenAlex
- W1976628927
- Cited by
- 351
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 17.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Social Issues (publishedVersion)
- University of New Hampshire Scholars Repository (University of New Hampshire at Manchester) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Keywords
- child abuse, child victimization, declining crime rates, economic prosperity, social norms, psychopharmacology, adolescent pregnancy, adolescent suicide, child poverty, demography
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