SOS would like to share a few eye-opening and important facts with you.
Child Abuse in the United States
In 2018, child protective services received 4.3 million referrals for alleged maltreatment which involved 7.8 million children
Child protective services recorded 678,000 of these children as victims
60.8% are neglected, 10.7% are abused, 7% are sexually abused, and 15.5% are victims of multiple maltreatment types
Nationally, 28.7% of victims are younger than 3 years old; Victims younger than 1 year make up 15.3% of all victims
In 2018, 1,770 children died of abuse and neglect; 70.6% were younger than 3 years old and 46.6% were less than 1 year; 72.8% suffered neglect and 46.1% suffered physical abuse (exclusively or in combination with other maltreatment)
Child Abuse in Kansas
In 2019, there were 73,407 child reports to DCF; 30.9% of reports were physical abuse and 18% were lack of supervision
6.5% of children experience recurrent maltreatment
As of 1/31/2020, there were 7,472 children in out of home placement
Each April SOS honors Child Abuse Prevention Month to remind our community of this urgent problem. SOS strives to end child abuse and neglect through advocacy and education in the six counties that we serve. SOS’ Crisis Services partners with schools to help children identify healthy interactions and ways they can keep themselves safe. SOS CASA of the Flint Hills advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children with the help of volunteer advocates. Because of their consistent presence throughout the case, CASA volunteers reduce recidivism rates and reduce recurrences of abuse while in foster care, all while advocating for the child's best interests every step of the way. The SOS Child Visitation and Exchange Center provides a safe place for families to visit or exchange their children from one the other without fear of negative interactions between parents. The SOS Child Advocacy Center receives referrals from law enforcement or DCF pertaining to child cases of alleged abuse or neglect and conduct child disclosure interviews through prosecution. Anyone can help improve the lives of children who have experienced, or are at risk for, abuse or neglect by: becoming a foster parent, becoming a CASA volunteer, creating a trusting and honest relationship with your children and their peers, reporting suspected maltreatment, donating to a service agency that works with these children, or by helping to spread awareness. SOS encourages any suspected abuse or neglect to be reported to the DCF hotline at 1-800-922-5330 (if it is an emergency, call 911). For more information about SOS please visit www.soskansas.com.
Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2019). Available from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/child-maltreatment and Kansas Department for Children and Families. Available: http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/Documents/FY2019DataReports/CPS/CPSintakereports_ReceivedFY19.pdf
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