Male Perpetrators of Child Maltreatment: Findings From NCANDS

The distribution and characteristics of male perpetrators are among the least studied aspects of child maltreatment. Nonetheless, generalizations regarding this group are common. This research used the case-level data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect System (NCANDS) for 2002 to analyze the characteristics of male perpetrators of maltreatment. The study utilized an 18-State data set of 192,392 perpetrators identified by the child protective services (CPS) system during 2002. The relationship of the perpetrators to the child victims, as well as whether the perpetrator acted alone or with another person, was considered along with demographic characteristics of both perpetrators and victims, and circumstances of the maltreatment.