Statistics on Child Abuse & Neglect and Foster Kids

  • imagesIn Florida, an average of 5 children die every DAY at the hands of an abuser
  • Every year, more than 50,000 children are victims of child abuse and neglect in Florida.
  • Every day 7 children in South Florida are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
  • Premature infants are 3 times more likely to be abused than full term babies.
  • In 2014, 2,440 children were abused or neglected in Palm Beach County.
  • Children who experience abuse or neglect are 9 times more likely to become involved in criminal activity.
  • Children who experience abuse or neglect are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
  • The 2 biggest reasons for child abuse are family violence and drug addiction.
  • As many as 2 or 3 people in treatment for drug abuse reported being abused or neglected as children.
  • About 90% of child abuse victims know their perpetrators
FACTS about Foster Children
  • Less than 50% of Florida’s foster children graduate High School
  • 30% are more likely to be substance abusers
  • 50% have been victims of domestic abuse
  • 85% have mental health issues
  • 40% become parents within 2 years of leaving foster care
  • 25% will be homeless within one year
  • 75% experience unemployment
  • 1 in 4 boys and 1 in 10 girls end up in prison

FACTS about Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)

  • Immediate symptoms of SBS include tiredness, not eating, no smiling, talking or laughing difficulty swallowing, sucking, or breathing, vomiting, difficulty staying awake, or the baby is very stiff or like a rag doll.
  • Shaking can cause brain injury, cerebral palsy, blindness ,hearing loss, learning and behavior problems, seizures, paralysis, and death.
  • 1,000-3,000 children in U.S. suffer from shaken baby syndrome (SBS) each year.
  • It only takes a few seconds of violent shaking to cause permanent damage for kids.
  • One fourth of victims of SBS die, and 80% of survivors suffer from permanent damage.
  • The care for shaken baby syndrome victims costs up to $16 billion a year in U.S.

How Much Does Child Abuse Cost? Study Says $400K Over a Lifetime
Child maltreatment is often measured by lives forever scarred by trauma and families torn apart, but a new study estimates that each case of abuse also carries a hefty price tag. According to researchers with the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center in collaboration and the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, each incidence of child abuse costs the public $400,533 over the course of a victim’s lifetime.

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South Florida Web AdvisorsStatistics on Child Abuse & Neglect and Foster Kids