Who Is Most Likely to Abuse a Child? 2026 Update Using Latest U.S. Data

The current federal Child Maltreatment report identifies who was most often confirmed as a child maltreatment perpetrator in reported and substantiated cases.

Mark S.
Last updated: July 29, 2026

According to the latest Child Maltreatment report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, the people most often identified as confirmed child maltreatment perpetrators are not strangers. They are most commonly adults known to the child, especially parents and caregivers.

In Federal Fiscal Year 2024, 52 states reported 410,676 unique perpetrators of child abuse and neglect. Most confirmed perpetrators were between 25 and 44 years old, and the majority were parents of their victims.

It is important to understand what this data means. NCANDS defines a perpetrator as a person who was determined to have caused or knowingly allowed the maltreatment of a child. These statistics refer to confirmed child maltreatment perpetrators, not people who were only accused and not substantiated.

These numbers also refer to child abuse and neglect overall. They should not be interpreted as “child molester” statistics only. Sexual abuse is one type of child maltreatment, but the federal perpetrator data includes neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, and other confirmed maltreatment types.

Key Statistics

410,676 unique perpetrators of child abuse and neglect were reported nationally.
76.3% of perpetrators were parents of their victims.
69.4% of perpetrators were between ages 25 and 44.
38.7% of perpetrators were ages 25–34, the largest age group.
51.9% of perpetrators were female.
47.0% of perpetrators were male.
1.1% of perpetrators had unknown sex.
1.7% of perpetrators were younger than 18.
89.1% of victims were maltreated by one or both parents when victim-perpetrator relationship data were analyzed.

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These numbers represent real children living with fear, neglect, pain, or silence. A statistic cannot ask for help—but you can help make sure more children are seen, heard, and protected.

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Most Child Abusers Are Between the Ages of 25 and 44

The Child Maltreatment 2024 report shows that the majority of confirmed child maltreatment perpetrators were adults between 25 and 44 years old. This age group made up 69.4% of perpetrators in 2024.

The largest single age group was 25–34 years old, accounting for 38.7% of all perpetrators. Adults ages 35–44 were the second-largest age group. This pattern reflects the ages when many adults are most likely to be parenting or caring for children.

The report also shows that perpetrators ages 25–34 had the highest adult perpetrator rate, at 3.4 per 1,000 adults of the same age. Adults ages 35–44 had the second-highest rate, at 2.8 per 1,000 adults.

This does not mean that all adults in these age groups are dangerous. It means that among confirmed child maltreatment cases known to CPS agencies, adults in these parenting and caregiving age ranges appeared most often.

Key statistics:

69.4% of perpetrators were ages 25–44.
38.7% of perpetrators were ages 25–34.
Perpetrators ages 25–34 had the highest adult perpetrator rate: 3.4 per 1,000 adults.
Adults ages 35–44 had the second-highest adult perpetrator rate: 2.8 per 1,000 adults.
1.7% of perpetrators were younger than 18.

Most Child Maltreatment Happens Within Close Relationships

One of the most important findings in the federal data is that child abuse and neglect most often occur within close caregiving relationships. In 2024, 76.3% of confirmed perpetrators were parents of their victims.

A related victim-perpetrator analysis found that 89.1% of victims were maltreated by one or both parents. The largest relationship categories were:

Mother acting alone: 37.0%
Father acting alone: 25.0%
Two parents of known sex acting together: 19.3%
Mother and nonparent: 5.4%
Father and nonparent: 1.0%
Other parent categories: 1.3%

This does not mean all parents are unsafe. It means child protection efforts must focus strongly on the environments where children depend on adults for care, supervision, safety, and emotional support.

When identifying signs of abuse or neglect, attention often needs to be directed toward immediate caregivers, household members, and trusted adults—not only strangers.

Key statistics:

- 76.3% of perpetrators were parents.
- 89.1% of victims were maltreated by one or both parents.
- 37.0% of victims were maltreated by mother acting alone.
- 25.0% of victims were maltreated by father acting alone.
- 19.3% of victims were maltreated by two parents acting together.

Where in the United States Are the Highest Rates of Child Abuse?

In 2024, there were 532,228 confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The national victimization rate was 7.2 victims per 1,000 children.

State-level child abuse and neglect rates vary widely. However, state-to-state comparisons should be made carefully because each state has its own child protection laws, definitions, evidence standards, reporting systems, screening procedures, and alternative response policies.

A state with a higher reported rate may not simply have “more abuse.” It may have different reporting rules, stronger detection, different CPS screening practices, different definitions of maltreatment, or more substantiated cases being captured in the reporting system.

For this reason, national patterns are often more useful for public awareness. The 2024 national data shows that confirmed child maltreatment most often involves caregivers known to the child, especially parents, and that neglect remains the most common confirmed maltreatment type.

Key statistics:

- 532,228 children were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect in 2024.
- The national victimization rate was 7.2 victims per 1,000 children.
- Children younger than 1 year old had the highest victimization rate: 20.1 per 1,000 children.
- 79.3% of victims experienced neglect either alone or in combination with another maltreatment type.

Perpetrators of Child Abuse and Neglect by State

The table below shows the number of unique child maltreatment perpetrators reported by each state from 2020 to 2024. These figures come from the federal Child Maltreatment 2024 report and are based on NCANDS data.

This data helps show how reported perpetrator counts vary by state and year. These are confirmed or indicated perpetrator counts connected to child victims, not the total number of allegations or reports.

Source: Child Maltreatment 2024, Table 5–1 (NCANDS data).

Table 5–1: Perpetrators by State, 2020–2024

State	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Alabama	8,432	8,387	8,162	8,275	7,800
Alaska	2,425	2,023	1,964	1,850	1,710
Arizona	9,684	11,264	11,497	11,398	9,291
Arkansas	7,809	8,138	7,635	6,631	5,729
California	53,124	49,073	45,289	42,991	40,678
Colorado	9,820	9,416	8,080	8,008	6,679
Connecticut	5,171	4,541	4,090	4,256	4,462
Delaware	919	896	829	740	642
District of Columbia	1,054	1,059	1,016	832	660
Florida	21,599	20,933	18,647	17,010	11,889
Georgia	6,730	7,344	7,897	8,658	9,719
Hawaii	1,150	1,220	1,144	824	673
Idaho	1,764	2,016	1,702	1,790	1,489
Illinois	25,303	25,475	23,359	23,081	22,815
Indiana	18,036	17,185	15,302	14,516	16,527
Iowa	7,625	8,158	8,003	7,775	6,784
Kansas	1,998	1,786	1,551	1,531	1,715
Kentucky	12,443	11,303	9,399	11,126	11,212
Louisiana	6,091	5,659	6,565	7,706	7,077
Maine	4,030	3,693	3,258	3,227	3,263
Maryland	6,424	5,715	5,967	5,622	5,737
Massachusetts	17,947	18,261	17,811	17,139	16,180
Michigan	21,484	19,348	18,417	17,961	17,674
Minnesota	4,709	4,000	3,768	3,537	3,347
Mississippi	6,812	7,107	7,611	7,352	8,330
Missouri	4,015	3,945	3,625	3,812	3,999
Montana	2,630	2,142	1,870	1,807	1,747
Nebraska	1,648	1,684	1,338	1,589	1,837
Nevada	4,094	4,465	4,643	5,143	4,561
New Hampshire	1,008	875	913	1,090	1,106
New Jersey	2,826	2,517	2,434	2,188	1,980
New Mexico	5,852	4,848	4,668	4,726	5,286
New York	45,922	43,478	38,597	35,819	35,282
North Carolina	3,891	3,635	3,752	4,221	7,608
North Dakota	1,200	1,037	852	701	534
Ohio	19,599	19,772	18,424	16,923	15,999
Oklahoma	12,487	11,595	11,332	10,926	10,833
Oregon	8,541	7,964	7,938	8,183	8,439
Pennsylvania	4,615	4,765	5,040	4,442	4,530
Puerto Rico	2,734	3,786	3,472	3,348	3,968
Rhode Island	2,141	2,023	1,948	1,956	1,824
South Carolina	10,727	11,501	10,930	10,208	9,291
South Dakota	1,097	992	1,028	1,043	1,129
Tennessee	8,493	7,608	6,828	7,589	9,201
Texas	50,567	50,820	42,240	41,808	38,451
Utah	7,197	6,676	6,387	6,213	6,346
Vermont	419	308	556	531	511
Virginia	4,728	4,180	3,882	3,684	3,752
Washington	3,315	3,036	2,986	2,815	3,012
West Virginia	5,359	5,475	4,821	3,932	4,073
Wisconsin	3,345	3,431	3,325	3,008	2,825
Wyoming	729	652	613	576	470
National	481,762	467,210	433,405	422,117	410,676

Summary Table: National Perpetrator Data, 2020–2024

Year	National Perpetrators	Reporting States
2020	481,762	52
2021	467,210	52
2022	433,405	52
2023	422,117	52
2024	410,676	52

Quick takeaway:
National reported perpetrator counts decreased from 481,762 in 2020 to 410,676 in 2024, while all 52 reporting jurisdictions submitted data each year.

Race and Ethnicity of Child Maltreatment Perpetrators in the U.S.

Child maltreatment occurs across racial and ethnic groups. The 2024 data should be interpreted carefully because these percentages reflect confirmed perpetrators known to CPS agencies, not the full population of people who may harm children outside the child protection system.

Among reporting states in 2024, the largest race and ethnicity groups among confirmed perpetrators were White (45.1%), Hispanic (21.8%), and Black or African-American (21.7%). Race or ethnicity was unknown or not reported for 6.1% of perpetrators.

These figures show that child maltreatment is not limited to one community. They also should not be used to stereotype any racial or ethnic group. Differences in reporting, investigation, poverty exposure, access to services, community surveillance, and state-level systems can influence who becomes known to CPS agencies.

Perpetrators by race or ethnicity, 2024:

White: 45.1%
Hispanic: 21.8%
Black or African-American: 21.7%
Unknown: 6.1%
Two or more races: 2.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native: 1.3%
Asian: 1.1%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.3%

Important clarification: These are child maltreatment perpetrator statistics overall. They should not be described as “child molester” race statistics because NCANDS perpetrator data includes multiple maltreatment types, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, and other forms of abuse or neglect.

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Male and Female Child Abusers: More Women Than Men in Overall Maltreatment Data

The 2024 federal data shows that both men and women are confirmed as child maltreatment perpetrators. Among reporting states, 51.9% of perpetrators were female, 47.0% were male, and 1.1% had unknown sex.

This finding is important because public discussions often assume child abuse is committed only by men. In reality, the overall child maltreatment data includes many forms of abuse and neglect, including neglect, which is often connected to caregiving responsibility.

This does not mean women are more dangerous than men. It means the overall CPS data reflects who is most often identified as responsible for confirmed maltreatment in caregiving settings. Since mothers and female caregivers often carry a large share of daily caregiving responsibilities, they appear frequently in child welfare data.

For sexual abuse specifically, patterns may differ. Therefore, the words “child abuser,” “child maltreatment perpetrator,” and “child molester” should not be used as if they mean the same thing.

Key statistics:

51.9% of perpetrators were female.
47.0% of perpetrators were male.
1.1% of perpetrators had unknown sex.
Overall child maltreatment data includes neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, and other forms of maltreatment.

Can a Child Be an Abuser? Rare but Possible

Although uncommon, minors can be identified as perpetrators in child maltreatment data. In 2024, 1.7% of confirmed perpetrators were younger than 18 years old.

These cases may involve peer-to-peer harm, sibling abuse, harmful sexual behavior, or other situations where a minor is determined to have caused or knowingly allowed maltreatment under state policy.

However, this number should be interpreted carefully. Some states have laws or policies that limit how young a person can be before they may be identified as a perpetrator. Because state rules vary, rates are not calculated for perpetrators younger than 18 in the same way they are calculated for adult age groups.

The data confirms that children can sometimes be identified as perpetrators, but these cases are rare compared with adult perpetrator cases.

Key statistics:

1.7% of perpetrators were younger than 18.
Most perpetrators were adults.
The largest perpetrator age group was 25–34 years old.
The majority of perpetrators were parents or caregivers known to the child.

What This Means for Prevention

The 2024 data shows that child abuse prevention must focus on the people and places closest to children. Most confirmed perpetrators are not strangers. They are usually parents, caregivers, relatives, or other adults known to the child.

Effective prevention must include:

Parent and caregiver education
Early family support
Safe reporting pathways
Domestic violence support
Substance abuse support
Mental health services
Community-based prevention programs
Training for teachers, healthcare providers, and other mandated reporters
Support for families before crisis occurs

Child abuse prevention is not only about identifying “dangerous strangers.” It is about building safer homes, stronger caregiving environments, and community systems that can recognize risk early and respond before harm escalates.

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Sources:

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau — Child Maltreatment 2024
National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS)
Reporting year: Federal Fiscal Year 2024
Coverage: 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico

Source note: This page uses statistics from the ACF Children’s Bureau Child Maltreatment 2024 report. Statistics are updated when new federal child maltreatment reports are released.

Mark S.

Mark S. is a dedicated child protection advocate and co-founder of Child Protection Global Network (CPGN). With a background in community development and public education, he supports CPGN’s mission to protect children from abuse and neglect through awareness, prevention education, and community guidance. Through his work with CPGN, Mark helps families, educators, and communities better understand child safety, recognize warning signs, and take informed steps when a child may be at risk. His writing focuses on making child protection information clear, practical, and accessible for people who want to create safer environments for children. Mark believes that protecting children begins with awareness, early action, and stronger community responsibility. His work reflects CPGN’s commitment to helping every child feel safe, heard, and protected.

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See a child in danger? If you are in immediate danger, call local emergency services. For guidance from CPGN, Get Help.
CPGN is a 501(c)(3) — donations are tax-deductible where applicable. Our goal is to ensure the safety and protection of every child until it is achieved.