Click here for a recent article published by KIDS Center Board members Jeff Klein and Derek Holdredge: The Financial Costs of Child Abuse.

The truth is that we will never know exactly how many children are abused. Prevent Child Abuse America (2008) estimates that an average of 4 children every day die from child abuse and neglect in the United States. In 2006 there were 3.3 million allegations of child abuse (regarding 6 million children) nationwide, 905,000 of which were substantiated (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). The allegations listed in the above report were distributed as follows:

• 64.1% were cases of child neglect.
• 16% were cases of physical abuse.
• 8.8% were cases of sexual abuse.
• 6.6% were cases of emotional abuse.
• 2.2% were cases of medical neglect.
• 15.1% were other cases of maltreatment, including the classifications of threat of harm, congenital drug addiction, and abandonment.

The Oregon Department of Human Services (2007) reports that in Oregon alone:

• In 2007 there were 63,504 total reports of child abuse, 10,716 of which were substantiated. 12.2 out of 1000 children were found by the state to be victims of abuse.
• In 2006 there were 60,746 total reports of child abuse, 12,043 of which were substantiated. 13.8 out of 1000 children were found by the state to be victims of abuse.
• In 2005, there were 55,114 total reports of child abuse, 11,255 of which were substantiated. 13.0 out of 1000 children were found by the state to be victims of abuse.

• In the tri-county (Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson) area of Central Oregon, 2,593 reports of abuse and neglect were made in 2006 alone.
• In Deschutes County, in 2007 there were 275 total founded instances of abuse. 7.7 out of 1000 children were substantiated victims of abuse.
• In Crook County, in 2007 there were 60 total founded instances of abuse. 9.3 out of 1000 children were substantiated victims of abuse.
• In Jefferson County, in 2007 there were 43 total founded instances of abuse. 6.8 out of 1000 children  were victims of abuse.
• Warm Springs numbers unavailable at this time.

KIDS Center is the only child abuse intervention center in the tri-county area, with locations in both Bend and Prineville. The organization evaluated 462 children in 2008 (approximately 40% of cases were substantiated) and treated 219 children with therapy through the Oregon Health Plan.

So what does this all mean? What happens to children after they are abused, and how does our society see the impacts? Childhelp USA (2008) found that:

• 80% of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least 1 psychiatric disorder at the age of 21 (including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, & post-traumatic stress disorder).
• Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
• Abused teens are 3 times less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for sexually transmitted infections.
• Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.
• Nearly 65% of the people in treatment for drug abuse report being abused as children. 
• 36.7% of all women in prison and 14.4% of all men in prison in the United States were abused as children.

Other reports link childhood abuse to crime and a variety of high-risk behaviors, such as juvenile delinquency, a younger age of consensual sexual activity, a higher number of sexual partners over a lifetime, and abusive or violent behavior (Wang & Holton, 2007). We cannot measure all of the long-term costs associated with intervention and treatment for perpetrators and family members of the victim. However, we do know that on the outset, treating child abuse, including hospitalization, immediate mental health care, child welfare services, law enforcement, sexually transmitted infection treatment, physical abuse treatment, court fees, and loss in potential lifetime earnings for victims is estimated to be $103.8 billion annually (Want & Holton, 2007).

References:

Oregon Department of Human Services (2007). The status of children in Oregon's child protection system. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/abuse/publications/children/index.shtml.

Prevent Child Abuse America (2008). 2006 national child maltreatment statistics. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://member.preventchildabuse.org/site/DocServer/Child_Maltreatment_Fact_Sheet_2005.pdf?docID=221.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008). Child maltreatment 2006. Retrieved November 20, 2008 from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/p0ubs/cm06/figtab3.htm.

Wang, C.T. & Holton, J. (2007). Total estimated cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States. Retrieved November 18, 2008 from http://www.preventchildabuse.org/about_us/media_releases/pcaa_pew_economic_impact_study_final.pdf

Childhelp USA (2008). National child abuse statistics. Retrieved November 20, 2008 from http://www.childhelp.org/resources/leanring-center/statistics.