Across the nation:

In 2009, the rate of children dying from abuse and neglect rose by 30%

Every 35 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected

Invest in Prevention:

Every 10 minutes, a teen in Texas gets pregnant

Every 10 hours, a 14 year old teen gets pregnant

Home visitation programs are most effective with teen-parents

Consequences of Inaction:

Abused children are:

• • 6 times more likely to commit suicide
  • 4 times more likely to commit sexual assaults
  • 74 times more likely to commit crimes against others

In Long range studies:

• • Children that were physically abused are at significantly greater risk of being arrested as juveniles, not completing high school and becoming a pregnant teen.
  • 80% of young adults who had been abused met diagnostic criteria for a psychiatric disorder at age 21 including major depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicidal attempts.

Financial Costs:

• • In one study it was estimated that child abuse and neglect result in 103.8 billion dollars annually on social, medical and judicial services.
  • This study indicates that every dollar spent on prevention could save $400 dollars in societal costs.