Final answer:
In the U.S., a child abuse report is made more than 3.3 million times per year, with professionals being responsible for three-fifths of these reports. Infants are the highest risk group for abuse, particularly neglect, which is the most common form of reported abuse.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the United States, an incident of child abuse is reported with alarming frequency. According to data from Child Help in 2011, there were more than 3.3 million reports involving an estimated 5.9 million children. It's important to note that three-fifths of these reports come from professionals, such as teachers, law enforcement personnel, and social services staff. The remaining reports are made by relatives, parents, friends, and others.
Infants, being the most dependent on parental care, are the most victimized group, with an incident rate of 20.6 per 1,000 infants. Neglect is reported to be the most common form of child abuse, constituting 78.3 percent of cases, followed by physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, and medical neglect. The majority of abuse perpetrators, 81.2 percent, are the parents themselves.
For further authoritative data, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides comprehensive statistics and research on this subject through their publications on Child Maltreatment.