NCJ Number
157878
Journal
American Journal of Public Health Volume: 84 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1994) Pages: 623-627
Date Published
1994
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether a history of maltreatment is a risk factor specific to child homicide or to child injury death in general.
Abstract
A total of 220 children were homicide victims in Los Angeles from 1978 through 1987. The control group included 213 matched children who died of unintentional injury, most often in transportation-related accidents. Modal characteristics were male gender, black race, and age less than 4 years. At least one suspect was identified in more than 91 percent of the cases, most often a male or a family member. Typically, the victim was shot or bludgeoned in the home. A significant minority of the families of the murder victims and the accidental death victims had contact with county services, but most cases were opened after the child's death. Prior to the death of the child, 17 percent of the homicide victims and 15 percent of the unintentional death victims had some involvement with county social or child protective services. However, only 8 percent of homicide victims and 2.4 percent of accidental death victims had a documented history of child protective services. 1 figure, 1 table, and 32 notes