NAASCA Posters / Essays Celebrating April as National Child Abuse Awareness Month

Child Abuse lives everywhere -- don't be afraid to talk about it
10 of 30 ..

  Child Abuse lives ..
...... in every community
...... thousands shed tears daily

The statistics of child abuse are, simply put, astonishing. We frequently use official numbers from Federal agencies, well respected Universities and non profits with decades of experience by way of educating the public about the hidden epidemic of abuse and neglect our kids are experiencing.

It's estimated conservatively that some 20% of the children in the US are abused sexually .. the rate is 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys. Still others are physically or violently abused where there's no sexual element. Others suffer from mental or emotional traumas and still more from neglect (also called maltreatment).

As a result, close to half our kids are being traumatized.

Here are the "General Statistics" from ChildHelp, celebrating 55 years' of service (which also runs a National Child Abuse HOTLINE):
  • A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds
  • More than four children die every day as a result of child abuse.
  • It is estimated that between 50-60% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates.
  • Approximately 70% of children that die from abuse are under the age of 4.
  • More than 90% of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator in some way.
  • Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education.
  • About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse.
  • In at least one study, about 80% of 21 year olds that were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.
  • The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2008 is $124 billion.
Please see:
www.ChildHelp.org/statistics
National Child Abuse HOTLINE: 1-800-4-A-CHILD

 
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