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Abuse Statistics
Each day in the United States more than four children die as a result of child
abuse in the home with more than 78% younger than four years of age.
US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children,
Youth and Families, Child Maltreatment 2003
More than 2.9 million reports of possible maltreatment involving children were
made to child protective service agencies in 2003.
US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth
and Families, Child Maltreatment 2005
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One out of every 4 girls and one out of every 6 boys are sexually abused by
the age of 18 years old.
National Children’s Alliance 2007
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1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the internet. An estimated 39 million
survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today. An estimated 30% of sexual
abuse victims never disclosed their abuse.
Darkness to Light 2007
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The effects of child abuse can be immediate, cumulative, or both. An estimated 39 million
survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today. If a child victim does not
resolve the trauma, the impact can be profound. Living with unresolved abuse-related
trauma puts children at greater risk for many difficulties throughout their
lives.
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, in 2000 about half the violent
crimes — rape, sexual assault, robbery, and simple and aggravated assault —
committed against person’s age 12 or older were reported to the police.
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93% of juvenile sexual assault victims knew their attacker; 34.3% were family members
and 58.7% acquaintances. Only seven percent of the perpetrators were strangers to the
victim, according to the 2000 Sexual Assault of Yong Children as Reported to Law
Enforcement. This study is available at the
Bureau of justice Statistics website.
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Nine in ten Americans polled regard child abuse as a serious problem yet only one in
three reported abuse when confronted with an actual situation.
Child Help 2003
Direct costs (judicial, law enforcement and health system responses to child maltreatment)
are estimated at $24 billion each year and indirect costs (long term economic consequences
of child maltreatment) exceed an estimated $69 billion annually (CDC 2001).
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P.L. 109-248, The Adam Walsh Child Protection and
Safety Act of 2006
The Adam Walsh Act marks an important step forward in our Nation’s efforts to
protect our children from sexual abuse and other violent crimes, prevent child pornography
and make the Internet safer for our sons and daughters.
In addition, a separate study recently conducted by the National Children’s
Advocacy Center in partnership with National Children’s Alliance, has shown
that on a case by case basis, traditional investigations were 36% more expensive
than investigations conducted in a community with a Children’s Advocacy Center.
The average cost of a CAC investigation was $2,902 compared to $3,949 for a non-CAC
investigation, generating a cost savings of more than $1,000 per case.
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