Child Abuse

CHILD ABUSE

Child abuse means a physical injury which is inflicted by other than accidental means on a child by another person. The Law defines child abuse as: (1) Physical abuse, (2) Neglect, both general and severe, (3) Sexual abuse (4) and Emotional abuse.
In 2003, the California Department of Social Services estimated that 376,279 referrals for investigation of child abuse and neglect involving 715,062 children were handled by child welfare services agencies. According to a 2002 audit by the California Department of Health Services, approximately 140 children died in the state as a result of child abuse and neglect.
Each year, more than 3 million children are reported as abused or neglected to child protective agencies in the United States. In 2003, an estimated 1,500 children died of child abuse and neglect in the U.S. (the most recent data available). Nationally, children younger than one year accounted for 43.6 percent of child abuse deaths in 2003. Prevent Child Abuse-America, one of the nation's leading child abuse prevention organizations, estimates the total direct and indirect cost of child abuse and neglect is approximately $94 billion per year.

Examples:
Physical abuse - Frustrated or angry parent or care giver strikes, shakes or throws a child. Intentional assault, such as burning, biting, cutting, poking, twisting limbs or otherwise torturing a child, is also included in this category of child abuse.
Neglect - Neglect includes both severe and general neglect. Severe neglect includes either the negligent failure of a parent or caretaker to protect the child from severe malnutrition or medically diagnosed nonorganic failure to thrive. Neglect can also include a parent or caretaker willfully causing or permitting the person or health of the child to be placed in a situation such that his or her person or health is endangered. This includes the intentional failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter or medical care. General neglect is the negligent failure of a person having the care or custody of a child to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision. An example of general neglect includes inadequate supervision, such as parents leaving their children unsupervised during the hours when the children are out of school.
Sexual abuse - Sexual assault includes rape, rape in concert, incest, sodomy, oral copulation, penetration of genital or anal opening by a foreign object and child molestation.
Emotional maltreatment - Verbal assault (belittling, screaming, threats, blaming, sarcasm, unpredictable responses, continual negative moods, constant family discord and double-message communication are ways parents may subject their children to emotional abuse.

FACTS National

- Nationally, in 2003, an estimated 2.9 million referrals alleging child abuse or neglect were accepted by state and local child protective services (CPS) agencies for investigation or assessment. Approximately 906,000 children were determined to be victims of child abuse and neglect by the CPS agencies. (Child Maltreatment 2003, National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, published in 2005)
- During 2003, an estimated 1,500 children died from abuse and neglect in the U.S. (NCANDS, 2005)
- Nationally, more than 60 percent of child victims were neglected, 20 percent were physically abused, 10 percent were sexually abused and 5 percent were emotionally
maltreated. (NCANDS, 2005)
- Children under the age of one accounted for 43.6 percent of child fatalities during 2003, while 78.7 percent of fatalities were younger than 3 years of age. (NCANDS, 2005)
- Approximately 80 percent of perpetrators are parents. (NCANDS, 2005)
- Women comprised 58.1 percent of all perpetrators, while men comprised 42.7 percent. Female perpetrators were typically younger than male perpetrators. (NCANDS, 2005)
- Childhood abuse and neglect increases the odds of arrest as a juvenile by 59%, arrest as an adult by 28% and arrest for a violent crime by 30%. (Update, The Cycle of Violence, National Institute of Justice, 2001)
- Prevent Child Abuse-America, one of the nation's leading child abuse prevention organizations, estimates the total direct and indirect cost of child abuse and neglect is approximately $94 billion per year.
- Because of its anonymity, rapid transmissions and unsupervised nature, the Internet has become the venue of choice for predators who transmit and receive child pornography. (Child Abuse Prevention Handbook, Attorney General's Crime and Violence Prevention Center)