Sobering Facts & Stats

Facts about Child Maltreatment

I. Per Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (www.chw.org)

The facts about child abuse and neglect

There is no disease, natural disaster or trauma that is killing more children in the United States than child abuse and neglect. Child abuse is a widespread problem. It can happen in any family and any neighborhood.

Child abuse and neglect in Wisconsin

A child is reported abused and neglected every 10 minutes.
Every 24 minutes a child is neglected.
Every 42 minutes a child is physically abused.
Every 46 minutes a child is sexually abused.
Every week and a half a child dies from abuse or neglect.
In 2007, nearly 56,000 children were reported abused and neglected in Wisconsin. These children could fill every seat at Miller Park plus or populate a city the size of New Berlin or Brookfield.

Child abuse and neglect in the US

In 2007, More than 5.8 million reports of child abuse and neglect were made in the U.S. Approximately 3.2 million children were found to have been victims of abuse or neglect.
Ninety percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68 percent are abused by family members.
Five children die in the United States each day from abuse and neglect. More than 78 percent of children who died from abuse and neglect were younger than 4 years old.
A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds.

While these numbers are staggering, the ramifications of abuse and neglect do not end with reporting and investigating. For the children affected, the impact is lifelong. Being abused or neglected in childhood increases the likelihood for arrest for females by 77 percent. Eighty percent of substance abusers, 78 percent of the prison population and 95 percent of prostitutes report being abused as children.

Abused and neglected children are less likely to be school-ready, more likely to be truant and more likely to be teen parents. As they grow up, children who are abused and neglected are more likely to develop chronic illnesses and suffer from depression, alcoholism and drug abuse. They also are more likely to abuse other children.

II. Per Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin & Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin (www.preventchildabusewi.org)

What is Child Abuse?

Defining Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse is any mistreatment of a child that results in harm or injury and that has no ''reasonable'' explanation. Child abuse is generally divided into several categories including physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect.

Physical Abuse

Physical Abuse Includes:
- Physical beatings
- Slapping
- Hitting
- Burns
- Strangulation
- Human bites

Sexual Abuse:

Non-touching sexual offenses include:
- Frank discussions about sexual acts intended to arouse the child's interest
- Obscene telephone calls
- Exhibitionism
- Voyeurism
- Pornography
- Allowing children to witness or hear sexual acts
Touching sexual offenses include:
- Rape
- Incest
- Touching of breasts
- Attempted intercourse
- Fondling of the genitals

Emotional Abuse:

A pattern of behavior that attacks children's emotional development, their spirit and selfconcept and makes them feel unloved, unloveable and worthless.
Constant criticizing, belittling, insulting rejecting, withholding love, support or guidance.
Emotional abuse is thought to be the most common form of abuse, as it usually accompanies other forms of abuse and has the longest lasting effects.

Neglect

Neglect is failing to provide for a child's well being and not meeting their needs for:
- proper food
- medical care
- hygiene
- shelter
- clothing
- education
- love and attention
- supervision and setting limits

Costs of Child Abuse and the Need for More Prevention

Three children die each day from abuse or neglect-a cost that is incalculable.
Abuse takes an enormous toll on children, both physically and emotionally.
Child abuse causes a drain on social, health and judicial services.
Adults who were abused or neglected as children are more likely to go on to commit crimes.
Child abuse costs taxpayers $258 million each day and $94 billion a year.
A conservative estimate is that child abuse costs each family $1,400 a year.
Only $1.06 per family is spent each year for programs to prevent child abuse.

Prevalence of Child Abuse

It is difficult to determine exactly how many children are abused and neglected each year. Several state and national studies have been conducted, but because of the way the data was collected the results can be misleading and may not present an entirely accurate picture. For instance, we know that most research is based on cases of child abuse and neglect that have been substantiated by child protective services agencies, agencies which, due to their limited resources, are usually only able intervene in cases deemed to be of serious concern. We also know that many cases of abuse and neglect are never even reported. However, the most current data report that:

In 2006, over three million reports of child abuse and neglect were made in the U.S. Approximately 896,000 children were found to have been victims of abuse or neglect.
4 children die in the United States each day from abuse or neglect.
In 2006 in Wisconsin there were:
- 41,294 reports of child abuse
- 1,251 substantiated cases of physical abuse
- 2,871 substantiated cases of sexual abuse
- 50 substantiated cases of emotional abuse
- 3,313 substantiated cases of child neglect
- 13 substantiated cases of a child having died because of child abuse or neglect

Regardless of what the data says, we believe that one case of child abuse is one case too many.

Contributing Factors to Child Abuse and Neglect

There is generally not a single factor that results in the abuse or neglect of a child; it is usually a

combination of various factors. In addition, the duration (such as the duration of an illness) or

intensity (such as the level of drug or alcohol abuse) can make it more or less likely that a child will

be at risk for abuse. When trying to understand child abuse and neglect, we often look at possible

factors in the adult, factors based on something in society, and factors based on something about

the child.

Possible adult contributing factors (Note: many of these same contributing factors are also factors for our high-risk clients … from a psychosocial and/or medical standpoint)

Research tells us that there is no “typical” abuser. People who abuse children may be male or female and the majority of child abuse is committed by someone who knows the child. In over 80% of cases a parent is the identified perpetrator. The following are characteristics of some people who abuse children.

Low self-esteem
Poor control over their emotions
A history of being abused themselves
Stress
Financial problems
Social isolation
Relationship problems with a partner (may include domestic violence)
Lack of parenting skills
Is abusing drugs or alcohol
Illness
Belief that too much praise or attention will spoil a child
Belief that fear and embarrassment are the way to make sure children obey
Doesn't understand children's needs or abilities and criticizes children who can't meet their high expectations
Belief that children should be quiet at all times
Inability to cope with life stressors
Focused on own troubles or things other than their children
Has been diagnosed or exhibits symptoms of depression

Possible societal contributing factors

There are many deeply rooted, complicated and interrelated societal factors that can contribute to

child abuse and neglect. While we cannot list them all here, the following two factors are often

identified as increasing the likelihood that child abuse and neglect will occur.

Stresses of poverty
Community violence

Possible child contributing factors

Some children have certain characteristics or behaviors that make it more likely that they will be at

risk for abuse or neglect. However, it is important to remember that no matter what characteristics

a child has or how they act a child is NEVER responsible for being abused or neglected.

Illness, especially chronic illness
Disability
Crying for extended periods
Feeding problems
Tantrums and whining
Biting
Toilet learning
Disobedience and lying
Physical appearance (for example, resembles someone who is viewed negatively by the caregiver)
Poor grades

III. Per Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Report 2008 Data, Released in 2010

Summary

Neglect was the most common type of maltreatment allegation during 2008, followed by physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse.
5,686 or 15% (approx) were substantiated allegations
4,865 child victims of maltreatment in 2008
Females were more likely to be victims than males due to higher rates of sexual abuse.
In 2008, 27 children died from substantiated maltreatment…89% (24 children) of those deaths were age one or under….7 of the 24 deaths were attributed to abusive head trauma (shaken baby) or impacted babies (result of being thrown against a surface, hard or soft)
During 2008, 2,198 children were removed from their family home and placed in out-of-home
In 2008, the <1-3 age group accounted for the largest number of victims, 53% of victims were under the age of 8
Primary care giver is most often the maltreater

Unborn child abuse –

“Serious physical harm inflicted on the unborn child and the risk of serious physical harm to the child when born, caused the habitual lack of self-control of the expectant mother of the unborn child in the use of alcohol beverages, controlled substances or controlled substance analogs, exhibited to a severe degree.”

In 2008, 49 of the 332 screened-in allegations (15%) of unborn child abuse were substantiated after the CPS initial assessment
Of those, 53% were opened or already opened for CPS services
22 children were placed in out-of-home care after the child’s birth

Maltreatment Allegations by County

Milwaukee

14,528 total reports

- 243 emotional abuse
- 8,367 neglect
- 4,356 physical abuse o 1,562 sexual abuse

Waukesha

895 total reports
- 8 emotional abuse
- 439 neglect
- 248 physical abuse
- 200 sexual abuse