Current Statistics
 
 

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All of the following statistics were compiled by Child Help Center in 1992. This information is from the book "Wednesday's Children" by Suzanne Somers.

1.   In 1990, 2.5 million cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in the United States.

2.   This represents an increase of 4% in the previous year, 31% in the previous 5 years, and a 117%
        increase in the past decade.

3.   The average age of the reported child victims was 7.2 years of age.

4.   Over three children die each day from child abuse (1211 per year). Since 1985, the number of
        reported child abuse fatalities has increased over 38%. Over 50% of the children were less than
        one year of age at the time of death. These figures most likely represent the lowest estimate of
        the problem.

5.   In over 80% of reported cases, the perpetrator is known to the child or the child's parent.

6.   Of the reported cases of child abuse and neglect, 27% involve physical abuse, 15% involve sexual
        abuse, 46% involve neglect, and 9% involve emotional abuse.

7.   Approximately 53% of reported cases of child abuse and neglect were substantiated in 1986.
        Through 1990, substantiated reports average over 40%. Substantiation figures vary from state to
        state, depending on each state's definition of a substantiated report.

8.   For every 1000 children in America, thirty-nine are reported being abused or neglected.

9.   The consequences of physical abuse are far greater for younger children. Children from infancy to
        age five are 28% of the general population of abused children, but sustain a disproportionately
        high 74% of fatalities. While the average age of children in all child-abuse reports is 7.2, the
        average age of fatalities from child abuse is 2.6.

10.  Based on studies which show that 25% to 35% of women and 10% to 20% of men in the United
        States were victims of sexual abuse as children, it is estimated that over 40 million people, or at
        least one in six Americans, have been sexually abused.

11.  As many as one in three girls and one in five boys will be sexually abused before they turn
        eighteen years of age.

12.  In 1990, approximately 376,000 children  were reported as sexually abused.

13.  In 1990, approximately 677,000 children were reported as physically abused.

14.  Males are eleven times more likely than females to be molested out of the home.

15.  About two in three Americans (64%) think they can personally help child abuse. Those who feel
        most effective include persons under the age of fifty-five, parents of children under the age of
        eighteen, Blacks, and Hispanics.

16.  A majority of Americans (61%) say they cannot imagine a hypothetical situation where they
        would approve of a public school teacher hitting a student. This is a marked increase over the
        51% who shared this opinion in a survey in 1968. As of early 1990, twenty states had banned
        corporal punishment in the public elementary and high schools, nine had legislation pending, and
        thirteen reported active lobbying efforts underway.

17.  Over 90% of the public agrees that all elementary schools should offer instruction that teaches
        children to protect themselves from child abuse, especially sexual abuse.

18.  Alcohol is almost always involved in family violence. Up to 80% of all cases involve drinking,
        whether before, during, or after the critical incident.

19.  Findings of incest in alcoholic homes were indicated in recent studies of 200 adult children of
        alcoholics. Almost 30% of the females in this survey reported some incestuous relationships,
        typically with fathers and stepfathers.
 

20.  Alcoholism programs identify emotional neglect by parents as a major theme of life for children in
        alcoholic homes.

21.  One out of every thirteen children with a substance-abusing parent is seriously abused each year.

22.  According to a recent study, stepdaughters are six times more likely to be sexually abused than
        daughters who live with a natural father.

23.  Recent research states that stepdaughters are five times more likely to be sexually abused by men
        other than a father or stepfather, especially friends of their parents.

24.  There are an estimated 28 million children of alcoholics.

25.  Children of alcoholics are three to four times more likely to become alcoholic than children reared
        by non-alcoholics.

26.  Intervention with new parents before the downward spiraling parent-child cycles of abuse are
        established is a more effective prevention plan than trying to break abusive cycles after they are
        established. Research shows that the earlier intervention occurs, to support, monitor, and redirect
        high-risk parents, the greater are the odds of success.

27.  The number of children in substitute care increased by nearly 30% nationwide between 1986 and
        1989. In Washington, DC, prenatal substance abuse generated a 58% increase in the number of
        children placed in foster care by the courts.

28.  Of the forty-eight states who have provided funding information, twenty-one (42%) received an
        increase in their 1989 child welfare budgets. The vast majority of these increases merely
        reflected a cost of living increase. A greater number (twenty-four) reported no change or a
        decline in revenues.

29.  Every fifteen seconds a woman will be abused by her husband and/or boyfriend.

30.  Two to four thousand women are beaten to death annually.

31.  Twenty-five percent of all women's suicide attempts are preceded by a prior history of battering.

32.  More than 50% of all married women will be assaulted at least once during their marriage. More
        than 33% of women will be repeatedly assaulted during their marriage.

33.  Battery is the single major cause of injury to women.

34.  Ten women a day are killed by their partners.

35.  In 75% of the states of this country, it is legal for husbands to rape their wives.

36.  One person is raped every six minutes.

37.  As much as ten times as many rapes occur as are reported.

38.  One in three women under the age of fifty can expect to be raped in her lifetime.

39.  Half of all rapes are acquaintance rape. Half of all rapes involve a victim, a perpetrator, or both
        who are teenagers. Of this 50%, up to 80% of raped teenagers are acquaintance-rape victims.
 
 

   Parents can expect infants to always show them love and affection.

   Usually, a two-year-old can sit and play quietly alone in a room for several hours.

   A parent can expect a young child (3 or 4) to know enough to behave in a supermarket so that the
        parent won't look foolish in front of others.

   A 3-year-old child usually knows when his mom or dad is upset and that he should stay out of the
        way at these times.

   A 5-year-old should be mature enough not to be bothered when he or she doesn't get candy or
        praise from his/her parents.

   A 15-year-old should be expected to help "patch up" his or her parents' marital problems.