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Some Facts and Figures on Child Abuse and Neglect

  


 

 

 

 

 

 
 

In 2009 there were 24,605 children in foster care in New York State.

In 2008 there were 63,075 indicated reports of child abuse or neglect in New York State involving 79,356 children.

New York State Kids’ Well-Being Indicators Clearinghouse, http://www.nyskwic.org. Accessed June 16, 2010.

CHILD MALTREATMENT AND POVERTY:

  • If the fraction of children below 75 percent of the poverty line rises from 10 percent to 15 percent in a state, the number of total victims of maltreatment is estimated to rise by 22 percent. 
  • An increase from 10 percent to 15 percent in the fraction of children with a working mother and absent father is predicted to increase substantiated cases of maltreatment by 21 percent. Likewise, an increase from 10 percent to 15 percent in the fraction of children with two unemployed parents is expected to increase maltreatment by 26 percent.
  • In 2004 there were 940,974 children living in poverty in New York State. (20.8%) 

National Bureau of Economic Research,“Poverty and Mistreatment of Children Go Hand in Hand,” http://www.nber.org/digest/jan00/w7343.html.

New York State Kids’ Well-Being Indicators Clearinghouse, http://www.nyskwic.org

CHILD MALTREATMENT AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE:

  • Substance abuse is one of the top two problems exhibited by families in 81% of reported cases of child abuse and neglect.
  • Children of substance-abusing parents are three times more likely to be abused and four times more likely to be neglected. 
  • According to NIDA-supported research conducted at the Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, women who experienced any type of sexual abuse in childhood were roughly three times more likely than unabused girls to report drug dependence as adults. 

Prevent Child Abuse, New York, October 2001 "The Costs of Child Abuse and the Urgent Need for Prevention."  http://www.pca-ny.org/pdf/cancost.pdf.  Accessed April 4, 2008.

Zickler Patrick, Washington, April 2002, "Childhood Sex Abuse Increases Risk for Drug Dependence in Adult Women," NIDA Notes, Vol. 17, No. 1.  http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol17N1/Childhood.html. Accessed April 4, 2008.

CHILD MALTREATMENT AND INCARCERATION:

  • Child abuse or neglect increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 53%, arrest as and adult by 38%, and arrest for a violent crime by 38%.
  • 35 percent to 39 percent of the biological mothers whose children entered foster care in 1991 and 1996 were arrested over the course of their adult lives.
  • 4 in 10 female inmates reported they had been physically or sexually abused.

Prevent Child Abuse, New York, October 2001, "The Costs of Child Abuse and the Urgent Need for Prevention."  http://www.pca-ny.org/pdf/cancost.pdf.  Accessed April 4, 2008.

Vera Institute of Justice and Administration for Children's Services, New York, December 2003, "Patterns of Criminal Conviction and Incarceration among Mothers of Children in Foster Care in New York City." http://www.vera.org/publication_pdf/210_408.pdf. Accessed April 4, 2008.

CHILD MALTREATMENT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:

  • About 33% of alleged abusers were abused by their parents.
  • There is a 30 percent to 60 percent overlap between violence against children and violence against women in the same families. 
  • Of children who witness domestic violence, it is estimated that 30 percent later become perpetrators of violence, as compared to a rate of 2 to 4 percent in the general population.
  • Among hospitalized child abuse cases, 59% of mothers of abused children have been found to be beaten by their male partners.

Prevent Child Abuse New York, October 2001, "The Costs of Child Abuse and the Urgent Need for Prevention."  http://www.pca-ny.org/pdf/cancost.pdf.  Accessed April 4, 2008.

National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, Washington, 1999, "In Harm's Way: Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment",  http://library.adoption.com/Child-Safety/ In-Harms-Way-Domestic -Violence-and-Child-Maltreatment/article /3519/1.html. Accessed April 4, 2008.

Massachusetts Citizens for Children, Boston, 2001, "A State Call to Action: Working to End Child Abuse and Neglect in Massachusetts", http://www.masskids.org/cta/index.html. Accessed April 4, 2008.

Carter, Janet, San Francisco, 2003, "Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, and Youth Violence: Strategies for Prevention and Early Intervention", Family Violence Prevention Fund, http://www.mincava.umn.edu/link/documents/fvpf2/fvpf2.shtml. Accesssed April 4, 2008.

CHILD MALTREATMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH:

  • Adolescents maltreated early in life were absent from school more than 1.5 as many days, were less likely to anticipate attending college compared with adolescents who had not been maltreated, and had levels of aggression, anxiety/depression, dissociation, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, social problems, thought problems, and social withdrawal that were on average more than three quarters of an SD [standard deviation] higher than those of their counterparts who had not been maltreated. 
  • According to a long term study, 80% of abused young adults met DSM-II-R criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21.

Lansford, J.E., Dodge,K.A., Pettit, G.S., Bates, J.E., Crozier, J., Kaplow, J., 2002, “A 12-Year Prospective Study of the Long-term Effects of Early Child Physical Maltreatment on Psychological, Behavioral, and Academic Problems in Adolescence”, Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc Med. 2002;156:824-830. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/156/8/824. Accessed April 4, 2008.

Prevent Child Abuse New York, October 2001, "The Costs of Child Abuse and the Urgent Need for Prevention."  http://www.pca-ny.org/pdf/cancost.pdf.  Accessed April 4, 2008.

CASA: ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN OF NEW YORK STATE*

  • Local CASA Programs served an estimated 3,765 children.
  • CASA volunteers numbered 895.
  • Each CASA volunteer contributed, on average, approximately 107 hours of time.
  • The total number of hours contributed by CASA volunteers is 100,672.
  • Total Number of Cases: 3,236
  • Total Number of Cases closed:  1,310

*According to a 2009 survey of local CASA programs in New York State conducted by the National CASA Association:

    Last Updated 6/16/10
    		 

     

    CASA: Advocates for Children of NYS
    32 Essex Street

    Albany, NY 12206
    Phone: 518-426-5354
    Toll-Free: 877-80-VOICE
    Fax: 518-426-5348
    E-mail: mail@casanys.org