>What is the basis for the 3,000,000 cases of child abuse per >year... This just sounds like much too >high a figure. "2000 children per year are SUBSTANTIATED as > killed by parents." I have trouble believing this figure,
There are several possible sources for this data, with different dates of data collection. I'm not sure which one Tasha was initially using. Pinning down numbers in this area is particularly tricky, for a few reasons. First, the terminology gets tricky. It is important to distinguish between victims and reports, between reports with different dispositions (substantiated, etc.). In addition, the States do not use the same terminology, which makes it tough to pin down a number. Second, while there are some _over_reports of child abuse, underreporting appears to be a far bigger issue. So, any official numbers probably are an underestimate of what is really going on. (But see NIS data below.) This is an issue in the child fatality area, where many child fatalities are certainly reported as deaths by other causes (SIDS, for example, or accidental injuries). With all the caveats said, here are some data from the government: According to the 1999 report, Child Maltreatment: Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS): - there were approx. 2,974,000 referrals received (to CPS agencies) - approximately 1/3 of these resulted in dispositions of either substantiated or indicated child maltreatment - there were approx. 826,000 victims of maltreatment nationwide - of these victims, sexual abuse victims accounted for about 11% - victimization rates (per thousand) were 10.6% for whites and 25.2% for African-Americans - approx. 1,100 children died from abuse or neglect (keep in mind earlier caveats). See http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/cm99/index.htm for more from that source. The Child Maltreatment report documents only cases reported to CPS agencies. In contrast, the National Incidence Study (NIS) estimates child maltreatment rates based on both reported and nonreported cases. The data for the 3rd report (NIS-3) was collected in 1993, which may partially explain differences in numbers. This report estimates: - 1,553,800 U.S. children were abused or neglected - 300,200 children were sexually abused The Executive Summary of that report is on-line at: http://www.calib.com/nccanch/pubs/statinfo/nis3.cfm#national Finally, the U.S. Advisory Board estimates that 2,000 children (per year) die from abuse and neglect. See http://www.calib.com/nccanch/pubs/factsheets/fatality.cfm for a fact sheet about child fatalities. No matter what the exact numbers, I think we can all agree on the fact that these numbers are certainly too high. And, the fact that there is simultaneous underreporting and overreporting is a problem, as both can lead to substantial trauma for children and families. Hope that helps clear up some confusion about the numbers, Marcia Marcia J. McKinley Asst. Professor, Psychology Mount St. Mary's College Emmitsburg, MD
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