Child Abuse is a serious problem in Arizona and across our nation. Arizona ranks 45th in the nation on indicators of child well being—indicators such as health, poverty, and educational attainment. In a June 16, 2002, poll in The Arizona Republic, 63% of the Arizona voters polled felt child welfare was the number one issue in our state, with 70% of those citing child abuse as a specific issue. Below are some alarming statistics about the costs of child abuse to our society. If you would like more information about child abuse please refer to the "links to other sites" section.
- Every 14 minutes a child in Arizona is reported abused or neglected
- There were 37 child deaths in 2003 that were due to child maltreatment. *
- From October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004, there were 39,407 reports of child maltreatment made to CPS (Child Protective Services) a 9% increase from the same time period in 2002-2003.*
- More than three out of five reports are classified as neglect (61%), while nearly a third are related to physical abuse (31%). Other reports alleged sexual abuse (6%) or emotional abuse (2%).*
- In 2001, Prevent Child Abuse America released a report estimating that, each day, child abuse and neglect costs the United States $258 million with a total annual cost of $94 billion.
*From Arizona's Abused and Neglected Children, March 2005, Children's Action Alliance.