Child Abuse Cases Increase

Cases of child abuse and neglect rose in 2000 for the first time in seven years, the government said Friday, with nearly 900,000 victims.

Officials said they were uncertain whether the small increase would mark the end of a downward trend.

Whether or not it does, the number is too high, said Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Behind these statistics are real children who are suffering real physical and emotional pain," he said in a statement. "We are working hard to reduce these numbers, and we must rededicate ourselves to successful prevention efforts."

About 1,200 children died of abuse or neglect in 2000, a small increase from 1999 that officials believe is due to improved reporting.

Confirmed maltreatment cases peaked in 1993, with 15.3 per 1,000 children. The rate fell for six straight years, hitting 11.8 per thousand in 1999.

In 2000, there were 12.2 cases per thousand, or a total of about 879,000, HHS said.

Child abuse typically increases in bad economic times, said Ching-Tung Wang, a researcher at Prevent Child Abuse America.

"People are facing more economic stress because, as we know, poverty is one of the highest risk factors for maltreating kids," she said.

But she said that it won't be clear until 2001 data is available whether there's a real rise.

Child protective service agencies across the country received about 3 million referrals in 2000, according to data reported to the federal government. More than two in three of them were not substantiated after investigation.

Of those that were confirmed, 62 percent suffered neglect, 19 percent were physically abused, 10 percent were sexually abused and 8 percent were psychologically maltreated.

Consistent with previous years, 84 percent of victims were abused by a parent.