Overview
- The government reported 223,691 cases handled by child guidance centers in FY2024, down 0.8% from the record set the previous year and marking the first year-on-year decline since the series began.
- Psychological abuse led with 133,024 cases (59.5%), with about 58.6% involving children witnessing domestic violence; physical abuse rose to 52,535, neglect fell to 35,612, and sexual abuse increased to 2,520.
- Police generated the majority of notifications at 51.7% (about 115,644 cases), followed by neighbors or acquaintances (8.9%), family or relatives (8.4%), and schools (8.0%).
- Primary perpetrators were most often mothers (48.2%) and fathers (42.9%); seven-year-olds were the largest affected cohort at 13,800, and the share of physical abuse tends to rise with age.
- The Children and Families Agency plans to expand children and family centers, bolster staffing, and advance trauma-care approaches, while preparing corrections to FY2015–FY2022 totals for release within FY2026.