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Date: Tuesday, April 8, 1997 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael Kharfen(202) 401-9215
The new data, included in the report "Child Maltreatment 1995: Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System," indicate that officially substantiated cases of abuse and neglect have remained at the historica lly high level of 1 million per year for three years in a row, after four previous years of annual increases.
This number reflects cases that have been confirmed by child protective services investigations to be victims of child abuse or neglect in 1995. Other studies estimate that even more children are maltreated than are indicated by the official numb er of substantiated cases. Last year, HHS published data from the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect that estimated as many as 2.8 million children were actually abused or neglected in 1993.
"Child abuse and neglect continue to be a shameful tragedy in our country, and every one of us has a stake in preventing it," Secretary Shalala said. "Whether we look at the number of cases that have been confirmed by authorities, or whether we try to estimate the great number of cases that are never reported and confirmed, our concern must be the same, and our shock must move us to action."
A devastating statistic from the report, according to Secretary Shalala, is that 80 percent of the perpetrators of child abuse and neglect were parents and other relatives.
April is National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, and to help local communities and others, HHS' Children's Bureau has created "Promoting Prevention," a bulletin that offers step-by-step advice on how to build support for preve ntion activities.
In addition, HHS has established a website providing information on child maltreatment, April activities and effective prevention programs, as well as other resources available to the public. The address is www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/.
"This month affords us a spotlight to the people and programs working daily to prevent the tragedy of child abuse and neglect," Secretary Shalala said. "The efforts of the Clinton administration, states and dedicated Americans are showing promise."
The administration is taking significant steps toward reducing these numbers by focusing on three key principles: prevention, protection, and permanency. Family-based prevention services help at-risk families reduce incidents of violence. A ren ewed federal commitment to strong protection systems gives states the resources they need to help children in danger. For those children who cannot remain safely at home, a strong emphasis on adoption and other permanent placement opportunities gives chi ldren now in foster care new hope for a stable and permanent home. Under a new initiative, Adoption 2002, President Clinton's goal is to at least double by the year 2002, the number of children adopted or permanently placed each year.
Across the country, community prevention programs are identifying families at risk, engaging parents and ensuring a healthy future for children. Some innovative models are Family PRIDE in El Paso, Texas; Early Prevention/CARRI (Children At Risk R esources and Interventions) Program in Piscataway, N.J.; and Father's Resource Center in Milwaukee, Wis. Each of these programs is intervening with families early, helping parents, and addressing the development needs of children.
In addition, five states have been granted waivers of federal regulations to allow those states to reform their child welfare systems. The states have the flexibility to design their child protection and child welfare systems in ways that will be tter insure the safety of children in troubled families, offer preventive services that will intervene early to better address the needs of families at risk, and improve the management of child welfare systems by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of services.
According to today's report. 52 percent of maltreated children suffered neglect, 25 percent physical abuse, 13 percent sexual abuse, 5 percent emotional abuse and 14 percent other forms of maltreatment. Some children suffered more than one type o f maltreatment. More than half of the children were under 8 years old, while 26 percent were younger than 4 years old. About 52 percent of victims were girls and 47 percent were boys.
In addition, 45 states reported that 996 children were known by State Child Protective Services agencies to have died as a result of abuse or neglect in 1995. Other recent studies estimate that the number of children killed by abuse and neglect c ould be twice as high each year.
"Our greatest weapons against child abuse and neglect are knowledge, awareness and compassion," said Olivia Golden, principal deputy assistant secretary for children and families. "Every responsible adult can help by learning more about child abuse and neglect, supporting parents and children in their communities, and reporting suspected incidents of maltreatment appropriately."
Copies of "Child Maltreatment 1995" will be available in mid-April and can be obtained by calling the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information at 1-800-FYI-3366.