NCJ Number
177481
Date Published
1995
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This study of child abuse homicide cases in North Carolina covered the 1985-1994 period and included data on children between 0 and 10 years of age.
Abstract
The focus was on criminal justice outcomes of child abuse homicide cases. Study methods involved case abstraction and interviews, data coding, differentiation between abuse and nonabuse cases, and analysis of trends and patterns. Data from 220 cases revealed the child abuse homicide rate in North Carolina rose during the 10-year period from 1985 to 1994. Of victims, 48 percent were female and 52 percent were male. Although black children represented 28 percent of the population in North Carolina, they were over-represented in child abuse homicide cases at 54 percent. Most victims died from blunt force, shaking, asphyxiation, or firearms. Of the 220 cases, 62 percent were committed by the child's natural parents and 38 percent were committed by other parent figures. Most information was filed by the suspected perpetrator's name instead of by the victim's name, and there was no centralized system for registering information about perpetrators or victims. Of 107 cases where the perpetrator was charged and received a penalty, wide variations in sentencing were observed. About 10 percent received work release or a minimal sentence; 75 percent were sentenced to prison, and the average jail term was 14.8 years. Black children and girls comprised a larger proportion of nonabuse homicides than abuse homicides. Firearms were more likely to be used in the nonabuse group. Overall, approximately 88 percent of child abuse homicides were committed by someone known to the child and only 3 percent were committed by strangers.