A Guide to Understanding the Well-Being of Children & Families in Erie County, Pennsylvania
Substantiated Child Abuse
CHARTS
Substantiated Child Abuse by CountyMEASUREMENT
.Figures for substantiated child abuse are from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.1 The rate of substantiated child abuse is the number of substantiated child abuse cases divided by the number of children under age 18 (from Census 2000) and multiplied by 1,000.
DESCRIPTION
Research on the effects of child abuse and neglect document both immediate and long-term harm to children. In rare cases, the physical consequence of abuse and neglect is death. In many other cases, the outcome is serious injury, permanent disability, and/or a range of social, psychological, and cognitive problems.
The local Offices of Children and Youth or Childline, a national child abuse hotline, take reports of child abuse. Local representatives of the Office of Children and Youth investigate the report. If there is proof of abuse or neglect, the case is considered a substantiated case.
DATA ANALYSIS
- In Pennsylvania during 2001, 47% of children abused lived in single parent homes. Ten percent were living with a parent and paramour while 33% were living in a two parent home.
- Seventy-six percent of abusers in Pennsylvania during 2001 had a parental (mother, father, step-parent or paramour of a parent) relationship with the child. Twenty-one percent of the abusers had previously abused a child.
- Erie County’s substantiated child abuse rates are similar to Pennsylvania rates with slightly higher proportions of reports being substantiated.
- Erie County had comparable rates to most Urban Third Class Counties. Lehigh had a higher rate as did Dauphin County whose rates dwarf those of the comparable counties.
- The number of cases in Erie County remained virtually steady from 1998 through 2001.
FOOTNOTE
1 Department of Public Welfare, (2001). Annual Report on Child Abuse. Harrisburg, PA:Author, p.8.