CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

Updated February 2012

National Child Abuse Statistics Most abuse victims are girls Over 60% of victims experience neglect

South Carolina ranks 45th in the nation for overall well-being of children

South Carolina Statewide Statistics Cases are calculated by the household,

not individual child 9,424 cases of child abuse and neglect

in 2010-2011 7,457 were cases of neglect (79%)

Richland County Statistics

Cases are calculated by the household, not individual child

568 cases of child abuse and neglect in 2010-2011

472 were cases of neglect (83%)

Lexington County Statistics

Cases are calculated by the household, not individual child

341 cases of child abuse and neglect in 2010-2011

262 were cases of neglect (77%)

Kershaw County Statistics

Cases are calculated by the household, not individual child

56 cases of child abuse and neglect in 2010-2011

45 were cases of neglect (80%)

Long Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect

Physical

Shaken Baby Syndrome Impaired brain development Poor overall physical health

Psychological

Depression in children as young as 3 Poor mental and emotional health As many as 80% of abused children met

criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder by age 21

Cognitive difficulties Social difficulties

Behavioral

25% more likely to experience problems during adolescence

More likely to be arrested as juvenile and adult

Alcohol and drug abuse Up to one-third of victims will victimize

their own children

Societal

Average lifetime cost per victim $32,648 in childhood health care costs $10,530 in adult medical costs $144,360 in productivity losses $7,728 in child welfare costs $6,747 in criminal justice costs $7,999 in special education costs

Prevention

Several programs have demonstrated reductions in child abuse and neglect and have great potential to reduce the human and economic toll on our society.  Several examples of effective programs include:

Nurse–Family Partnership, an evidence–based community health program. Partners a registered nurse with a first–time mother during pregnancy and continues through the child′s second birthday.   http://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/

Early Start, provides coordinated, family–centered system of services: http://www.dds.ca.gov/earlystart/ California′s response to federal legislation providing early intervention services to infant and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

Triple P, a multilevel parenting and family support system: http://www.triplep–america.com/Aims to prevent severe emotional and behavioral disturbances in children by promoting positive and nurturing relationships between parent and child.

About Palmetto Place

Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter is a temporary, safe and caring haven for abused, abandoned and neglected children in the Midlands. The Shelter provides residential care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. At Palmetto Place, we provide medical and mental health care, crisis adjustment/transitional counseling, after school tutoring and recreational and social activities in addition to food, clothing and shelter. When home is not a safe and loving place, we open our doors and offer each child the opportunity for a better, healthier and more productive future. Since the Shelter opened in 1977, we have cared for more than 6,700 at-risk children from newborn to age 17. In 2011, we cared for 120 children at Palmetto Place, but we could have helped more.