While
overall U.S. crime statistics declined during the period 1993 to 1997, reports and confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect rose. Although the nation's overall crime rate fell more than 21 percent from 1993 to 1997, reports of child abuse and neglect grew by 9 percent and confirmed cases increased 3 percent during the same period, according to Prevent Child Abuse America.
| Type of Crime |
Change 1993-1997 |
| Child Abuse and Neglect (Reports) |
up 9% |
| Child Abuse and Neglect (Confirmed) |
up 3% |
| Violent Victimizations (age 12+) |
down 22% |
| Property Crimes |
down 22% |
| Murder |
down 28% |
| Overall Crime Rate |
down 21% |
Sources:
Wang and Harding (1999). Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and
Fatalities: The Results of the 1998 Annual Fifty State Survey.
Chicago: Prevent Child Abuse America.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (1998). Criminal Victimization 1997:
Changes 1996-97 with Trends 1993-97. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department
of Justice.
As seen
in the table below, nearly three-quarters of a million of California
children were the victims of some form of child abuse or neglect during
the late 1990's. The greatest proportion of these cases were instances
of physical abuse and general neglect, followed by sexual abuse. (These
terms will be defined more fully in Module 3.)
1996 Child Abuse Incidents By Types of Abuse (California)
Type
Sexual Abuse
Physical Abuse
Severe Neglect
General Neglect
Emotional Abuse
Exploitation
Caretaker Absence/Incapacity
Total
|
Number
112,029
224,228
42,747
221,040
41,379
2,469
63,026
706,918 |
Percent
15.8%
31.7%
6.0%
31.3%
5.9%
0.3%
8.9%
100. |
|
Each
year in Los Angeles County, the Department of Children and Family
Services (DCFS) investigates over 140,000 suspected cases of child
abuse and neglect. In addition to those cases reported directly to
DCFS, the Child Abuse Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department and
local police units also received several thousand additional reports.
LOS ANGELES POLICE
DEPARTMENT
ABUSED CHILD UNIT 1999 CRIMES INVESTIGATED
Categories of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigated
|
|
Physical Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Endangered
Homicide |
828
460
478
11 |
46.6%
25.9%
26.9%
0.6% |
|
|
|
LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
ABUSED CHILD UNIT 1999 CRIMES INVESTIGATED
Categories of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigated. Indicates the age categories of
children who were victims of child abuse in 19
| ª@ |
0-4 years:
|
5-9 years:
|
10-14 years:
|
15-17 years:
|
| Physical Abuse |
227
|
336
|
312
|
154
|
| Sexual Abuse |
193
|
323
|
373
|
75
|
| Endangering |
773
|
719
|
434
|
125
|
|
GEOGRAPHIC AREAS (LOCAL POLICE UNITS)
Crimes Against Children Investigated
|
|
1995
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
Total
|
|
Physical Abuse
|
183
|
153
|
133
|
145
|
194
|
808
|
|
Sexual Abuse
|
1,035
|
860
|
903
|
1,061
|
1,157
|
5,016
|
|
Endangered
|
611
|
501
|
607
|
594
|
684
|
2,997
|
|
Homicide
|
6
|
10
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
16
|
|
Total
|
1,835
|
1,524
|
1,643
|
1,800
|
2,035
|
8,837
|
|
|