CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
The
National Exchange Club develops and implements programs which seek to
eliminate child abuse and strengthen families. These programs include:
more than 100 Exchange Club Centers for the Prevention of Child Abuse,
Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness, Time Out Teddy, Blue Ribbon Campaign,
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness, Kidcode and CARS (Children Are Really
Special).
To learn more about Child Abuse Prevention, please click here:
Frequently Asked Questions About Child Abuse
How Many children are victims of maltreatment?
In 2001, CPS agencies determined approximately 1.1 million children
were victims of substantiated or indicated child abuse and neglect. The
term "substantiated" means that an allegation of maltreatment was
confirmed according to the level of evidence required by the State law
or State policy. The term "indicated" is an investigation finding used
by some States when there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a
case under State law or policy, but there is reason to suspect that
maltreatment occurred or that there is risk of future maltreatment.
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What is child abuse?
Child abuse is any mistreatment or neglect of a child that results in
non-accidental harm or injury and which cannot be reasonably explained
. Child abuse can include: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual
abuse and neglect.
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Is the number of abused or neglected children increasing?
Nationally, the number of victims of substantiated or indicated
maltreatment decreased between 1996 and 1997, from slightly over one
million (1,030,751) to just under one million (984,000) Previously, the
rate of maltreatment had been on the increase between 1990 and 1996,
with an overall increase for that period of 18 percent.
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How many children are reported and investigated for abuse or neglect?
In 2001, Child Protective Service (CPS) agencies investigated more than
3.25 million reports of child abuse and neglect throughout the United
States. This is an increase of 2 percent from the previous year.
Teachers, law enforcement officers, social service workers and
physicians made 56 percent of the reports.
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What are the most common types of maltreatment?
Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment. CPS
investigations determine that 63 percent of victims in 2001 suffered
neglect; 19 percent, physical abuse; 10 percent, sexual abuse; and 8
percent, emotional maltreatment.
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Is there any evidence linking alcohol or other drug use to child maltreatment?
A study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found
that children of substance-abusing parents were almost three times
likelier to be abused and more than four times likelier to be neglected
than children of parents who are not substance abusers. Other studies
suggest that an estimated 50 percent to 80 percent of all child abuse
cases substantiated by CPS involve some degree of substance abuse by
the child's parents.
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What makes people abuse children?
It is difficult to imagine that any person would intentionally inflict
harm on a child. Many times, physical abuse is a result of excessive
discipline or physical punishment that is inappropriate for the child's
age. The parent may simply be unaware of the magnitude of force with
which he or she strikes a child. Most parents want to be good parents
but sometimes lose control and are unable to cope.
Factors
which contribute to child abuse include the immaturity of parents, lack
of parenting skills, unrealistic expectations about children's behavior
and capabilities, a parent's own negative childhood experience, social
isolation, frequent family crises and drug or alcohol problems. Child
abuse is a symptom that parents are having difficulty coping with their
situation.
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How many children die each year from child abuse?
Based on data reported by CPS agencies in 2001, it is estimated that
nationwide, 2,000 children died as a result of abuse or neglect. based
on this number, five to six children die each day as a result of child
abuse or neglect. Of these fatalities, 85 percent were children younger
than six-years-old at the time of their death, and 44 percent were
under the age of one.
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Are victims of child abuse more likely to engage in criminality later in life?
According to a 1992 study sponsored by the National Institute of
Justice (NIJ), maltreatment in childhood increases the likelihood of
arrest as a juvenile by 53 percent, as an adult by 38 percent, and for
a violent crime by 38 percent. Being abused or neglected in childhood
increases the likelihood of arrest for females by 77 percent. A related
1995 NIJ report indicated that children who were sexually abuse were 28
times more likely than a control group of nonabused children to be
arrested for prostitution as an adult.
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Who abuses and neglects children?
In 2001, 60 percent of the perpetrators were female with an average age
of 31, and 40 percent were male with an average age of 34.
Approximately
84 percent were abused by a parent; Mothers alone were responsible for
47 percent of neglect and 32 percent of the physical abuse.
More
than half of all victim were White, 51%; 28% were African American; 18%
were Hispanic; 2 % were American Indian/Alaska Natives; and 1% were
Asian/Pacific Islanders.
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