Background

While risk factors have been identified among infants and young children, less is known about child maltreatment fatalities among older children.

Objectives

To describe the social and demographic characteristics of children where abuse or neglect was determined to cause or contribute to their death, compare characteristics and circumstances of the deaths by cause and manner of death and type of maltreatment, and explore the role of abuse and neglect in child suicides.

Participants and setting

Secondary analysis of deaths due to child abuse or neglect among children ages 5–17 years old occurring during 2009–2018 and documented in the National Fatality Review-Case Reporting System.

Methods

Child, family, and social characteristics were compared by child age (5–10 years vs. 11–17 year-olds), and by cause and manner of death. Frequencies and proportions were reported and compared using chi-square statistics.

Results

1478 maltreatment-related deaths were identified. Higher proportions of older children were non-Hispanic white, had a history of chronic disease or disability, had problems in school, and had a history of mental health issues. Forty-three percent of the maltreatment deaths were due to homicide and 10 % by suicide. Higher proportions (65 %) of younger children (5–10 years old) died by homicide, compared to older children (35 % among ages 11-17y). While 58 % of deaths overall were related to neglect, 68 % of deaths in older children were related to neglect, including 80 % of suicides.

Conclusions

The causes of child maltreatment deaths among children 5–17y vary by age. Child neglect caused and/or contributed to most child suicides.

中文翻译：

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5-17 岁儿童虐待致死的社会和人口特征

背景

虽然已经在婴幼儿中确定了风险因素，但对大龄儿童中儿童虐待致死的情况知之甚少。

目标

描述确定虐待或忽视导致或促成其死亡的儿童的社会和人口特征，按死因和死亡方式以及虐待类型比较死亡的特征和情况，并探讨虐待和忽视在儿童中的作用儿童自杀。

参与者和设置

对 2009 年至 2018 年发生并记录在国家死亡审查案例报告系统中的 5-17 岁儿童因虐待或忽视而死亡的二次分析。

方法

儿童、家庭和社会特征按儿童年龄（5-10 岁对比 11-17 岁）以及死亡原因和方式进行比较。使用卡方统计报告和比较频率和比例。

结果

确定了 1478 起与虐待有关的死亡事件。较大比例的大龄儿童是非西班牙裔白人，有慢性病或残疾史，在学校有问题，并且有精神健康问题史。43% 的虐待死亡是由于他杀，10% 是自杀。与年龄较大的儿童（11-17 岁之间为 35%）相比，年幼儿童（5-10 岁）死于他杀的比例更高（65%）。虽然 58% 的死亡与忽视有关，但 68% 的大龄儿童死亡与忽视有关，包括 80% 的自杀。

结论

5-17 岁儿童虐待死亡的原因因年龄而异。儿童忽视导致和/或助长了大多数儿童自杀。