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South Carolina Value:
Number of children who were victims of substantiated or indicated maltreatment per 1,000 children
South Carolina Rank:
Number of children who were victims of substantiated or indicated maltreatment per 1,000 children
1.5 - 4.3
4.4 - 5.9
6.0 - 10.0
10.1 - 12.3
12.4 - 16.2
US Value: 7.4
Top State(s): New Jersey: 1.5
Bottom State(s): Massachusetts: 16.2
Definition: Number of children who were victims of substantiated or indicated maltreatment per 1,000 children
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau, Child Maltreatment Report Series, 2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau, Child Maltreatment Report Series, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
Approximately 546,000 children in the United States were affected by maltreatment and child victimization in 2023. Maltreatment and child victimization take many forms, including sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and neglect. In 2023, neglect was the most common form of child maltreatment. Most perpetrators are family members or known relatives — only 2.8% of child victimization perpetrators are nonrelatives.
While short- and long-term consequences may differ by the type of victimization, the negative impact of maltreatment on cognitive development — and subsequent social and emotional development — is consistent. Health outcomes associated with child victimization include increased risk of substance use, conduct disorders, anxiety, depression, and being bullied or bullying others, as well as chronic or recurrent illnesses. The social and emotional effects of child victimization include reduced ability to form attachments, process emotions or correctly assume others’ intentions.
The lifetime economic burden of child maltreatment in the U.S. is estimated at $2.96 trillion. This estimate includes lost productivity, short- and long-term health care, child welfare, criminal justice and special education costs.
According to the Children’s Bureau’s annual Child Maltreatment report, the rate of victimization is higher among:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a guide containing what they consider the best evidence-based strategies for preventing child abuse and neglect. Some strategies include:
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Welfare Information Gateway offers resources for child abuse prevention, including a list of evidence-based practices such as Child Welfare Strategies and the Family First toolkit.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. Child Maltreatment and Brain Development: A Primer for Child Welfare Professionals. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, 2023. https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/child-maltreatment-and-brain-development-primer-child-welfare-professionals/.
Children’s Bureau. Child Maltreatment 2023. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, 2025. https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2023.pdf.
Fortson, Beverly L., Joanne Klevens, Melissa T. Merrick, Leah K. Gilbert, and Sandra P. Alexander. Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/can-prevention-resource_508.pdf.
Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research. Edited by Anne C. Petersen, Joshua Joseph, and Monica Feit. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.17226/18331.
Klika, J. Bart, Janet Rosenzweig, and Melissa Merrick. “Economic Burden of Known Cases of Child Maltreatment from 2018 in Each State.” Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 37, no. 3 (June 2020): 227–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00665-5.
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Connecting the Brain to the Rest of the Body: Early Childhood Development and Lifelong Health Are Deeply Intertwined. Working Paper No. 15. Cambridge, MA: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2020.https://harvardcenter.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/wp15_health_FINALv2.pdf.
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