Statistics

National Statistics

• Since 1990, more than 10,000 American children have died at the hands of their parents or caretakers. Four children die every day in this country from child abuse and neglect.

• In 2000, over 3 million children were reported as abused or neglected in the United States.

• Eighty percent of violent juvenile and adult prisoners were raised in violent homes.

• The United States annually spends an estimated $258 million on foster care, incarceration and other societal costs because of the abuse and neglect of children. This amounts to $1,460 per family, per year. Despite these high costs, the federal government invested only $10 in prevention research for every case reported.

• Survivors of abuse are six times more likely to become abusive parents.

• One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before the age 18.

• Abused children are 25 times more likely to repeat a grade.

• Seventy-five percent of high school dropouts have a history of abuse in their families.

• Forty-five percent of abused children become adult alcoholics.

Source: http://www.pcao.org/whatis/stats.cfm