Child Abuse – A National Disgrace
April 30, 2009 by Diane
April is supposed to be Child Abuse Awareness Month. How many mentions of it have you heard by the media this month? Not even the President has said anything. And yet, he announced on Monday a $6 billion investment into cancer research. Don’t get me wrong. I applaud his efforts to find a cure for cancer, but I want to put the issue in perspective.[1]
The estimated number of people affected each year by cancer is 757,600. The amount of federal spending per American is $4, 665. The estimated number of Americans affected by child abuse each year is 3,154,000. And yet, the amount of federal spending per affected American is only $10. The United States spends around $104 billion[2] per year due to the effects of child maltreatment. Let’s talk about the long-term impact of our torture.
- When experienced in childhood, trauma produces neurobiological impacts on the brain, causing dysfunction in the hippocampus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and other limbic structures.[3]
- 87% of a clinical sample of adults molested as children had “serious” sexual problems, as opposed to 20% of those clients without a sexual abuse history.[4]
- 62% of pregnant and parenting female adolescents were found to have experienced molestation, attempted rape or rape prior to their first pregnancy.[5]
- The prevalence of child sexual abuse is high among individuals seeking inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa.[6]
- Approximately 20% of abused children are convicted for serious juvenile crime such as theft, auto theft, breaking and entering, burglary, or assault.[7]
- Teenagers with alcohol and drug problems are 6 to 12 times more likely to have a history of being physically abused and 18 to 21 times more likely to have been sexually abused than those without alcohol and drug problems.[8]
- Survivors of childhood sexual abuse have 3.5 times more learning disabilities than non-abused women.[9]
These are just a few statistics of the consequences of child abuse. It is a national disgrace that the issue of child abuse and neglect is not regarded as a significant problem to be addressed on the national agenda.
I was conditioned to keep my mouth shut the whole time I grew up, but I certainly do not have to do it now. The more survivors can make their voices heard, the more we can generate real change not only in our lives but in the lives of children who are suffering today. I encourage each of you to comment about what concerns you and what we should do about it.
[1] Federal Spending on Public Health Issues, Prevent Child Abuse America 2000
[2] Economic Impact Study Page (September 2007), Prevent Child Abuse America 2007
[3] Neuroimaging findings in post-traumatic stress disorder, Hull, A., British Journal of Psychiatry, 181, 102-110, 2002
[4] Meiselman, K.C. Incest: A psychological study of causes and effects with treatment recommendations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1978.
[5] Sexual Abuse as a Factor in Adolescent Pregnancy and Child Maltreatment, Boyer, Debra, & Fine, David, Family Planning Perspectives, Jan. 1992
[6] The impact of childhood sexual abuse in anorexia nervosa. Carter JC, Bewell C, Blackmore E, Woodside DB. Department of Psychiatry, Toronto General Hospital, Child Abuse & Neglect. 2006 Mar; 30(3):257-69.
[7] McCord, J. (1983). A forty-year perspective on the effects of child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse and Neglect, 7, 265.
[8] Models for Developing Trauma-Informed Behavioral Health Systems and Trauma-Specific Services, Ann Jennings, Ph.D., 2004, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and the National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning
[9] Springs, Fern E., and William N. Friedrich. Health Risk Behaviors and Medical Sequelae of Child Sexual Abuse. In 67 Mayo Clinic Proceedings. (1992): 527-532.
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May 29, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Schools should talk about it more,have someone from psychiaty from their local Clinic or something along those lines( I don’t know how it works in the States, I’m Canadian :] ) and school conselors should be suspicious of children’s parents who REFUSE to show up to parent-teacher meetings. And they should talk to them one by one, insisting that they have nothing to be afraid of, and need to be encouraged to believe IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT
because it isn’t.
Alex
May 30, 2009 at 8:15 am
Schools in the United States are very much aware of the problem. Unfortunately, the Secretary of Education has not placed dealing with child abuse and neglect as a high priority. As I keep saying, you can have the best teachers in the world, the best standardized tests, and the highest of intentions, but when you have children going home to domestic violence, parents who cope by drugs and alcohol, and who sexualize the home environment with porn along with child abuse and neglect, you are fighting a losing battle. Hopefully, President Obama will, at some point, address the issue of child abuse and neglect with his Cabinet. In the meantime, we, as survivors, need to keep up the fight for justice and compassion.