Today, ACL begins releasing updated reports for the Year 1 (federal FY 2016) National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS) data. This is the first consistently, systematically, and nationally collected data on the abuse of older adults and adults with disabilities. NAMRS is a voluntary data reporting system collecting data from state and local Adult Protective Services systems.
States were able to provide additional or revised data for the first year. Updated reports are now available:
In the coming weeks, two additional reports will become available:
- Report 2: Key Indicators
- Report 3: Case Components
Fifty-four of 56 states and territories contributed data to NAMRS in its first year. This high level of voluntary participation reflects the value that leaders in the field of adult maltreatment see in this data.
While NAMRS is still in its infancy, the information it will provide in the years to come will directly inform prevention and intervention practices at all levels of the adult maltreatment field. It will provide a better understanding of the characteristics of those experiencing, and perpetrating, abuse and identify system gaps for responding to maltreatment and preventing repeat maltreatment. As states and territories will continue to improve information systems, add data elements, train staff on new data collection methods, and report additional data, NAMRS data will become an extremely valuable tool.
Data collected by NAMRS includes APS staff and case-load, response and response time, intake and investigation practices, maltreatment type, victim characteristics, and perpetrator characteristics. For example, 49 states and territories reported opening investigations for 728,049 clients.
Many in the adult maltreatment field, including the federal Elder Justice Coordinating Council, have recognized the need for national data on adult maltreatment. After the passage and funding of the Elder Justice Act, ACL awarded the first-ever federal grants to enhance Adult Protective Services. These grants were used by many states to build data systems and align them with NAMRS.