Statistics About Child Abuse

• A report of Child Abuse is made every 10 seconds
  
• Child abuse occurs at every socio-economic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religion and at all levels of education
• Three million reports of child abuse are made a year, though it is believed that the actual number of incidents are 3 times as many
• Of the reported rapes of children under 12 years old, 90% of the victims knew the perpetrator
• Children ages 0-3 are the most likely to experience abuse. They are victimized at a rate of 16.4 per 1,000
• Fifty-two percent of child maltreatment victims were girls and 48% were boys

And If You Don’t Get Help…

• Long term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inappropriate behavior, poor self esteem, tendency towards substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships
• One third of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle
• Nearly 38% of all women in prison and just over 14% of all men in prison in the United States were abused as children
• Children who have been sexually abused are 2.5 times more likely to abuse alcohol and almost 5 times more likely to become addicted to drugs
• Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teenage pregnancy
• Children who experience child abuse and 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 crimes.
• Keeping Kids Safe: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
  Saratoga Center for the Family 359 Ballston Avenue Saratoga Springs NY 12866 518/587-8008