Child Abuse and Neglect The Ugly Truth
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Child Abuse
Most abused and neglected children never come to the attention of the government. This is especially true for sexually abused and neglected children, who more than likely have no signs of physical harm. In sexual abuse cases, feelings of secrecy and shame from children, and adults aware of the abuse, keep them from coming forward. Therefore, official government statistics do not indicate actual rates of child abuse in the United States.
"Government statistics are based on cases that were:
Reported to Social Services Agencies
Investigated by Child Protection Services
Sufficient enough to meet the definition of 'abuse' or neglect" (PCA)
"Terms like 'substantiated cases' (United States) and 'registered children' (England) refer to these cases. Basically, government reports are only the tip on the iceberg." (PCA)
The Department of Health and Human Services, or the HHS, reported that child abuse and neglect in the United States nearly doubled during the seven years between 1986 and 1993. According to the HHS study, the number of total child maltreatment cases that were investigated remained steady from 1986 to 1993; however, the percentage of cases investigated fell dramatically. "It is shameful and startling to see that so many more children are in danger and that proportionately fewer incidents are investigated," HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala said...