The ramifications of child abuse

Child Abuse

It is easy to read statistics without grasping the human suffering behind the numbers. Each number represents a child’s life. Each human life touches hundreds of others. The ramifications of child abuse and neglect are exponential.

 

NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE STATISTICS

  • 4.1 million child maltreatment referral reports received.1
  • Child abuse reports involved 7.5 million children.1
  • 3.2 million children received prevention & post-response services.1
  • 142,301 children received foster care services.1
  • 74.9% of victims are neglected.
  • 18.3% of victims are physically abused.1
  • 8.6% of victims are sexually abused.1
  • 7.1% of victims are psychologically maltreated.1
  • Highest rate of child abuse in children under age one (25.3% per 1,000).1
  • Annual estimate: 1,720 children died from abuse and neglect in 2017.1,

CONSEQUENCES & RISK FACTORS

  • Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.6
  • Abused teens are more likely to engage in sexual risk taking behaviors, putting them at greater risk for STDs.6
  • About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse.7
  • In at least one study, about 80% of 21 year olds that were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.13
  • The financial cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States is estimated at $585 billion.8
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences 
  • Almost five children die every day from child abuse.1,2
  • Seventy-two (71.8%) percent of all child fatalities were younger than 3 years old.1
  • 80.1% of child fatalities involve at least one parent.1
  • Of the children who died, 75.4% suffered neglect.1
  • Of the children who died, 41.6% suffered physical abuse either exclusively or in combination with another maltreatment type.
  • 49.6% of children who die from child abuse are under one year.1
  • Boys had a higher child fatality rate than girls (2.68 boys & 2.02 girls per 100,000)1
  • Almost 65,000 children are sexually abused.1
  • More than 90% of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator.6
  • Estimated that between 50-60% of maltreatment fatalities are not recorded on death certificates.5
  • Child abuse crosses all socioeconomic and educational levels, religions, ethnic and cultural groups.1

Who abused and neglected children? 

  • 83.4% (More than four-fifths) of perpetrators were between the ages of 18 and 44 years.1
  • 54.1% (More than one-half) of perpetrators were women45.0 % of perpetrators were men, and .09 % were of unknown sex.1

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