INDIANAPOLIS — Child deaths investigated by the Indiana Department of Child Services rose across the state in 2022, according to the recently released Annual Report of Child Abuse & Neglect Fatalities in Indiana.

In 2022, the Indiana Department of Child Services investigated 308 child deaths across the state, up from 2021’s 271 child deaths. Of those 308 deaths, DCS determined that 17 were the result of abuse while 44 were due to neglect.

Of the 61 deaths determined to be a result of abuse or neglect, 67% of the children were 3 years of age or under. Most of the victims were males, 39, as opposed to 22 of the children being female.

Of the 61 deaths attributed to abuse or neglect, 31 were found to be accidental with 17 determined as homicides.

The most common cause of death, taken from the state death certificates, was found to be death by a weapon (including a body part, e.g. a closed fist) which was listed as a primary factor in 22 of the 61 deaths.

In 75% of the cases investigated by DCS, the death occurred in the child’s home with the child’s biological parents being deemed responsible for the death 80% of the time.

Out of the 61 child deaths attributed to neglect or abuse in 2022, 12 occurred in Marion County. Lake County had the second highest amount at seven followed by Vanderburgh County at four.

Of the 17 child deaths across the state attributed to abuse, seven were children under the age of 1. One of the victims was a baby only 23 days old, according to the report.

Most perpetrators of abuse were determined to be males, the report found, with 14 males labeled as perpetrators of abuse leading to the child’s death as opposed to eight females. A majority of the perpetrators fell between the age range of 20 to 34.

Fathers were the most common perpetrators of abuse, the report details, followed closely by the mother or the mother’s partner.

Sixteen of the 17 abuse deaths occurred in the child’s home, DCS said. In most cases, there were other children in the home as well.

While abuse perpetrators were mostly found to be male, neglect perpetrators were mostly found to be female, according to DCS’s report.

Out of the 44 child deaths attributed to neglect, mothers were the most common perpetrators followed by fathers.

Children age 3 and under accounted for 27 of the 44 neglect deaths with children under 1 and 1-year-olds accounting for the most neglect deaths at 9 each.

Like abuse deaths, children whose deaths were attributed to neglect were most likely to die in their own home with 28 of the 44 deaths happening in the home. Most of the homes had other children living there as well.

In neglect cases, the most common stress factor found to be impacting the caregiver of the victim was substance abuse. Abuse cases were the same with a history of substance abuse being the most common factor impacting caregivers. Insufficient income, a history of being mistreated as a child themselves and being unemployed were the other most common factors impacting caregivers in both neglect and abuse cases.

Indiana DCS stated that every death DCS is required by statute to investigate is reviewed at both a county and state level. DCS investigates the deaths of children under the age of 3 if the death is sudden, unexpected or unexplained, or if there are allegations of abuse or neglect. Deaths of children 3 or older are investigated by DCS only if there have been allegations of abuse or neglect.

Read the entire 2022 report below: