Child abuse numbers show frightening reality

(Updated: Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:47 AM CDT)

Leada Gore, Editor

There are many wonderful things about being a parent. There's no replacing those hugs and kisses and that little head laying on your shoulder when she's sleepy. Still, parenthood brings with it a whole new set of worries.

Are vaccines safe? Is there anything within her reach that could hurt her? Should she really be putting the dog's tail in her mouth?

Worrying, it seems, comes with the territory. It's only natural for a parent to want to keep their child safe and away from harm.

Only natural. Or at least you'd hope so.

Last week, I came across an article about a study that concluded one in every 50 infants in the United States is neglected or abused. Most of this abuse, researchers said, happened within the first weeks of life.

Alabama is not immune to these problems. Consider these numbers from the Child Welfare League of America:

In 2004 - the group's most recent data - there were 9,414 cases of child abuse or neglect in the state. That number was an increase from the year before.

Forty-four percent of these cases involved neglect, 41 percent involved physical abuse and 24 percent of the cases also involved sexual abuse.

Eleven children in Alabama died as a result of abuse in 2004.

In 2004, there were 5,880 children living away from their families because of problems in the home. Twenty-five percent of those children were age 5 and younger. Twenty-eight percent of those children had been permanently removed from their homes and were awaiting adoption.

Three-hundred and ninety-eight children were legally adopted through the child welfare system in 2004.

The average caseload for a foster care caseworker is 24-31 children. The national recommendation for caseloads is 12-15.

These numbers are staggering. As a mother, aunt and sister, numbers like these make me question how anyone could neglect or hurt their child. As a taxpayer and citizen, numbers like these make me wonder what we're doing to help protect our most vulnerable members of society.

April is designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month.The month is set aside to raise awareness of this problem and its solutions. It's good to have such a month and to increase awareness of such a serious problem.

Like many such issues, however, it will take more than awareness to solve this problem. It will take neighbor looking out for neighbor. It will take families reaching out to other family members. It will take churches stepping in to offer more than just encouraging words.

One child being abused is too many. One child being neglected is too many. It's our job - all of us - to do what we can to help our little ones.

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