Child Abuse Info

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A National and Local Crisis

Sadly, child abuse and neglect exists in all parts of the US and the world, even right here in Washtenaw County. The incidence of abuse and neglect is ten times that of childhood cancer, but we have no multi-million dollar research base for prevention of child abuse, and prevention funds are often among the first to get cut in times of fiscal crisis. The statistics below provide a disturbing snapshot of the problem.

Across the U.S.

In 2001, 903,000 children victimized by abuse or neglect;

Of these victims, almost 20% were physically abused; 10% were sexually abused; half were neglected (failure to take care of basic needs);

Between 1976 and 1994, the number of suspected victims grew by 463%;

Half of all victims are under the age of 5; and

There were 1,300 fatalities in 2001 as a result of abuse and neglect;

In Michigan

350 cases of possible abuse/neglect are reported each day, or one every 5 minutes;

Between 1993 and 2000, there was a 38% increase in substantiated cases of abuse/neglect; and

Each hour, 3 children are abused.

Here in Washtenaw County

In 2003, 2,561 children were investigated, and 320 children were confirmed as victims

372 children were in out-of-home care because of abuse/neglect; and

Child abuse incident numbers were fairly steady from 2000-2003 (between 389 and 450) after a steep rise from 1994 to 1999.

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While stereotypical incidents of child abuse, like the stranger in the car or the daycare worker, do exist, they represent a small minority of actual cases. As the statistics below about victims and perpetrators show, most victims know the person commits the crime of abuse or neglect.

Who are the victims?

By age 18, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be victims

Most fatalities (85%) from abuse/neglect happen before age 6

Victims come from all socioeconomic backgrounds

Girls 4 times more likely than boys to be victims of sexual abuse

Who are the perpetrators?

87% are abused or neglected by a parent

80% of incidents take place in the home

Siblings or other relatives are the next highest categories of perpetrators

The perpetrator is almost always someone the victim knows

Small fraction of confirmed Michigan cases (less than 1%) are daycare providers

More than 60% of the perpetrators are female (often "failure to protect" cases of neglect)

Males are the ones most likely to sexually abuse children

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The costs of child abuse and neglect are staggering, both to the individual victim and to society at large. We often think of abuse as something that people recover from, but that's not always the case. Sometimes the effects of child abuse last well into adulthood and even perpetuate themselves in future generations. Not only are these individual costs tragic, but they require more social resources to deal with the after-effects. This means more money that governments have to spend on the problem, and that translates into higher taxes or fewer services elsewhere. We've broken down some of these costs.

The costs to the child:

Victims are at higher risk for substance abuse, mental illness, suicide, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, delinquency, criminal violence, and depression

Victims are more likely to abuse their own kids, so the cycle continues into future generations

Research suggests permanent damage can occur to the developing brain, so full "recovery" may never be possible

The costs to the system (and ultimately to the taxpayers):

May suffer developmental problems, meaning special programs or attention will be needed for the student in school

Possibly reduced chances at finding a good paying job, meaning the victim will pay fewer payroll taxes

May need to place child outside the home, in foster care

Five times more likely to be arrested for juvenile crimes, with all the associated court and detention costs

Twice as likely to be arrested as adults (often as abusers of kids and/or spouses) with more associated court and incarceration costs

Overall cost: $258 million/day; $114 billion/year; $1,461/US family/year (includes medical treatment for physical injuries, court costs, social services costs, ongoing behavioral health costs; funeral costs)

Cost in Michigan is estimated at $823 million/year

Clearly it makes more sense to spend money up front for the prevention of child abuse and neglect than to incur all the emotional and financial costs associated with these senseless crimes. According to one recent study, for every $1 spent on prevention, $34 is saved in crisis intervention costs.

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