COMMENTARY ON CHILD ABUSE
By
Jerry Edwards
Executive Director, Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center
Last week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the NIS-4, a periodic study on the incidence of child abuse and neglect in our county. Based on this report, our country has seen a 26% decrease in the number of child maltreatment cases in the period from 1987-2006. These statistics give child welfare advocates, communities, legislators and various stakeholders a reason for continued hope in this difficult battle as well as cause for brief celebration that the hard work done throughout the 1980s and 1990s is paying off.
Throughout the period recognized in this study, Texas as well as the rest nation, saw a groundswell of programs developed to specifically address the horrifying epidemic of child abuse and neglect and the inherent challenges that come with investigating these cases, prosecuting offenders, and finding safe homes for children. As a result of the concern and commitment of so many private citizens, many of these programs took the form of community based non-profits, such as the Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center, operating in partnership with the government agencies tasked with working these cases.
In Texas alone, this timeframe saw the development of over 60 children’s advocacy centers (CACs). CACs provide a safe, child-friendly environment where child protective services, law enforcement, prosecution, and medical/mental health can share information and develop coordinated strategies sensitive to the needs of each unique case and child. In 1995, the Texas Legislature saw fit to put language in the Texas Family Code defining the CAC model; they also invested state appropriation dollars into this model for the first time that same year. Since that initial investment, local communities have come together to leverage those critical dollars through fundraising at a 1 to 7 ratio. As community based non-profits, the CACs in Texas are rooted in the belief that child abuse is not just a government responsibility, but a community one as well.
Likewise, the success of the Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center is due to the recognition by private citizens and government leaders that there is, indeed, a better way to handle these cases. This recognition was coupled with their willingness to find financial support for these programs and their courage to bring awareness to this difficult issue.
While the NIS-4 provides for a moment of hope and celebration for both frontline workers and the countless supporters who have championed our cause for the past 20 years, we still have cause for concern about the post study period of 2006-present. The study was completed at the peak of the U.S. business cycle and we know that poverty and economic stress is a leading indicator of abuse and neglect. In the period of time following the conclusion of this report, the U.S. economy has shed millions of jobs, tax revenue dedicated to child welfare programs has declined, and community support in the form of private donations has dwindled.
Additionally, the number and severity of cases seen at the Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center has continued to grow, particularly in the most recent fiscal year. There were 527 referred to the center in 2009 compared to 468 in 2008. Studies have shown that unemployed parents had two times the rate of child maltreatment compared to employed parents. Overall, there has been an increase in forensic interviews of 10% over the last four years.
Furthermore, recent studies have shown that even mandated reporters of abuse remain reluctant to make reports of suspected abuse. While we are encouraged by the decrease in abuse cited in the NIS-4 report, we also know that there are thousands of children silenced by fear and secrecy who have been unable to disclose their abuse and find safety. Community awareness promoted by concerned citizens and leaders is our greatest weapon in this fight.
As we look at the NIS-4 report we are both grateful for the outpouring of support and innovation we have witnessed in our field over the last 20 years. It would be easy during these economic times to forget these strategies are working and proving to be less costly to our community. We must continue in our efforts to invest in the efforts to support children and families and to reduce child abuse and neglect. These programs work and we can’t let up now. Together we can Break the Cycle of Abuse, One Child at a Time.