Child Abuse Fatality/Near Fatality Trend Analysis Report
By law, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is required to review circumstances surrounding cases where suspected child abuse may have occurred. To help the community better understand what led to the death and to help initiate a discussion on how Pennsylvanians can help prevent future deaths, review team reports are posted by the year in which the initial referral was received.
The report is a statewide study of calendar years 2015 and 2016, outlining and analyzing data to establish recommendations to prevent child abuse fatalities and near fatalities.
In order to better review and learn from past instances of child abuse fatalities and near fatalities, the department convened a trend analysis team comprised of staff across multiple state agencies, partners in the General Assembly and local government, and child welfare advocates.
The report approaches child abuse as a public health issue that requires collaborative, multidisciplinary partnerships, strengthened prevention efforts and improved ways to identify signs and cases of abuse before a fatality or near-fatality occurs.
The website has reports past and current.