Child Abuse and Reabuse - Number of reported and substantiated cases in Pennsylvania

Definitions: Reported Cases of Child Abuse includes the reported incidents of suspected child abuse and neglect through the Childline and Abuse Registry.  It does not include General Protective Service reports which include less severe general neglect reports.

The rate per 1,000 children was calculated by dividing the suspected cases by the child population from birth through age 17.

Substantiated Cases of Child Abuse includes founded or indicated reports of child abuse and neglect.  It does not include the number of children determined to need general protective services.

Cases of Reabuse (Repeated Child Abuse) includes children with another substantiated incident of abuse following the first reported incident.

Data Source: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Children, Youth and Families. U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Footnotes: Substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect are incidents of abuse that have been determined to meet Pennsylvania's CPS Law.  Following a CPS investigation, a determination is made as to whether the child abuse report is substantiated.  This determination can be made by the county child welfare agency (referred to as an indicated report) or by the courts (referred to as a founded report).

Reabuse - It is not accurate to assume that the victim of repeated abuse is always where a child was a victim of multiple incidents of abuse.  Child reabuse can include cases of previously unreported incidents that become known and recorded during an investigation.  These incidents are registered on ChildLine and handled as separate reports.  A child may also be abused in one county and then move to another county and become a victim of abuse again.  The statistics on reabuse should be understood in this context and they may include overstated data.

Updated October 2022.

Definitions: Reported Cases of Child Abuse includes the reported incidents of suspected child abuse and neglect through the Childline and Abuse Registry.  It does not include General Protective Service reports which include less severe general neglect reports.

The rate per 1,000 children was calculated by dividing the suspected cases by the child population from birth through age 17.

Substantiated Cases of Child Abuse includes founded or indicated reports of child abuse and neglect.  It does not include the number of children determined to need general protective services.

Cases of Reabuse (Repeated Child Abuse) includes children with another substantiated incident of abuse following the first reported incident.

Data Source: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Children, Youth and Families. U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Footnotes: Substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect are incidents of abuse that have been determined to meet Pennsylvania's CPS Law.  Following a CPS investigation, a determination is made as to whether the child abuse report is substantiated.  This determination can be made by the county child welfare agency (referred to as an indicated report) or by the courts (referred to as a founded report).

Reabuse - It is not accurate to assume that the victim of repeated abuse is always where a child was a victim of multiple incidents of abuse.  Child reabuse can include cases of previously unreported incidents that become known and recorded during an investigation.  These incidents are registered on ChildLine and handled as separate reports.  A child may also be abused in one county and then move to another county and become a victim of abuse again.  The statistics on reabuse should be understood in this context and they may include overstated data.

Updated October 2022.