Have Child Protection Efforts Reduced Child Homicides? An Examination of Data from Britain and North America

Abstract

In a recent British Journal of Social Work article examining trends in child homicide statistics collected by the World Health Organization (WHO), Colin Pritchard attributes a reduction in child homicides in England and Wales to improved effectiveness of child protection services. However, further analysis of the WHO data show that the decrease in England and Wales is due to an unusual single-year drop in homicide rates, and that there is no evidence of a long-term downward trend. Examination of trends in Europe and North America show that there are no consistent patterns in fluctuations in child homicide rates, and in particular, no evidence that fatality statistics have been influenced by the rapid expansion in child protection efforts.