SACRAMENTO — Every minute of every day, a child is reported abused in California, with at least one child dying daily as a result, according to data gathered by the Child Abuse Prevention Center.
Dealing with the consequences of this preventable abuse is costing California taxpayers billions of dollars annually.
“Nearly a half million cases of suspected child abuse are filed in California every year ? and these are just the reported cases,” Sheila Boxley, president and CEO of the Child Abuse Prevention Center, said. “Sadly, we suspect the real number is much higher.”
Boxley said America is spending more than $100 billion per year paying for the long-term effects of child abuse, which include far higher likelihood of mental illness, crime, substance abuse, suicide, domestic violence, obesity and chronic disease, according to studies by the Centers for Disease Control, which calls child abuse America”s number-one public health crisis.
“For every dollar invested in child abuse prevention, we save a hundred dollars paying for the consequences,” Boxley said, noting the legislature has declared April “Child Abuse Prevention Month” to focus attention on this “totally preventable tragedy.”
Boxley said chlld abuse has been reduced by a documented 90 percent in at-risk homes receiving Child Abuse Prevention Center services, which include parenting skills training, health education and techniques for dealing with parental frustrations.
Parenting tips and other information is available at www.thecapcenter.org.
