14 DAY TRIAL // Public opinion has no mercy when it comes to this crime. And results of the fight against child sexual abuse can be seen: a 5% decline from 2005 to 2006, summing an over 50% decrease in 14 years, as revealed by an analysis released by the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire and based on data delivered by child protection agencies. Physical abuse decreased by 3% in 2006, summing a decline of 48% in 14 years.
"When they released the data in early April, federal authorities highlighted only a 1% decline in overall child maltreatment, and did not draw attention to the strong declines in sexual and physical abuse. Because the majority of maltreatment cases involve neglect, which actually rose 2 percent from 2005, the trends for sexual and physical abuse were obscured," said David Finkelhor, director of the center.
34 states displayed decreases in sexual abuse cases from 2005 to 2006, fronted by Hawaii (40%), North Dakota (39%) and Idaho (36%). Rises occurred in Rhode Island (53%) and Alaska (36%). In 14 years, most states presented decreases in sexual abuse cases, fronted by Idaho and Arizona (94%), Alaska (88%) and South Dakota (87%). Two states and the District of Columbia presented rises of this rate over time. The authors point to some possible factors explaining the decline of child abuse.
"The period when sexual and physical abuse started the dramatic downward trend was marked by sustained economic improvement, increases in the numbers of law enforcement and child protection personnel, more aggressive prosecution and incarceration policies, growing public awareness about the problems, and the dissemination of new treatment options for family and mental health problems, including new psychiatric medication," said Finkelhor.
Instead, the analysis has found a rise of child neglect by 2% from 2005 to 2006, the main increases occurring in Delaware, Rhode Island New Jersey, and significant declines in Arizona, North Carolina and North Dakota. In 14 years, the most significant increases in neglect rate occurred in Iowa, Oklahoma and New York, and the most important declines in Vermont, Washington, Alabama and Idaho. The authors put this on the fact that neglect does not receive the same level of policy attention and public awareness as the first two types of abuse. New forms of neglect, like drug-affected newborns, may hide a decline in other conventional forms of neglect.