Study Finds Sharp Drop in Child Abuse

Public awareness campaigns credited with helping abuse drop 26% since '93
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 3, 2010 4:09 AM CST
Updated Feb 3, 2010 6:00 AM CST
Study Finds Sharp Drop in Child Abuse
"There's much more public awareness and public intolerance around child abuse now," said Linda Spears, the Child Welfare League of America's vice president for public policy.    (Shutter Stock)

Cases of child abuse and neglect have fallen sharply since the early '90s, according a huge federal study. A total of 553,000 children suffered physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in 2005-6, the study found, down 26% from the 743,200 abuse victims in 1993. Cases of sexual abuse were down 38%. Experts say the results show that crackdowns and public awareness campaigns are working.

The figures show that "the mobilization around this issue is helping and it's a problem that is amenable to solutions," a leading researcher in the field of child abuse tells the AP, crediting a "troop surge" in child protection services with having helped reduce abuse. "There's also been a general change in perceptions and norms about what one can get away with, so much more publicity about these things," he said. (More child abuse stories.)

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