Tune into Kids in Georgia

Challenges Facing Georgia’s Children Today:

Reports of abuse and neglect Georgia currently ranks 47th in the nation for the high number of children experiencing abuse or neglect.  A serious concern is an 88% increase in substantiated reports of abuse and neglect from 1999-2004.  The effects of child abuse are far reaching, often leading kids to poor school achievement, delinquency, pregnancy and substance abuse. However, communities can also be a child’s greatest ally against abuse.

Safe and healthy environments are created by the participation of all its members.  Of the 650 abuse and neglect related cases reviewed by the Georgia Fatality Review Board in 2004, 96% percent were deemed preventable—suggesting that a parent or community could have reasonably intervened to prevent the child’s death. This presents a challenge to all Georgians to work together to protect our children.

INFANCY/ EARLY CHILDHOOD (0-5): Georgia’s youngest children bear a disproportionate burden of abuse and neglect.  Research from the Child Welfare Information Gateway suggests that chronic abuse and neglect in early ages negatively effects brain development, which can have serious, long term consequences on children’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social development.  Neglect is the most common form of maltreatment, especially among the youngest children:  approximately 20% of neglect victims are under age three. The state defines neglect as a child’s care-giver permitting a child to suffer and/or failing to provide one or more of the elements necessary for the child’s physical, intellectual, social and emotional development. ^[1] Parenting education and early intervention with families of young children can be highly effective at reducing abuse and neglect.

MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (4-15): Homicides and accidental injuries together accounted for half of all deaths to children ages 5-9 from 2001-2004.  About 56% of the accidental deaths in this age group result from motor vehicle crashes. According to the CDC, one in four crash-related child deaths involved alcohol use; most of these children were not restrained. Abuse and neglect cases also suggest a challenge for Georgia for this age group.

ADOLESCENTS (15-19): Safety for adolescents touches on many areas of risky behavior. Motor vehicle accidents account for about three quarters of all deaths to teens dying of unintentional injuries.  In addition, Georgia teens face particularly high rates of dating violence: 14% were intentionally physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in 2003, compared to only 9% nationally. While Georgia teen rates of alcohol and drug abuse compare favorably with national statistics, the effects of these risk behaviors are grave enough to warrant Georgia’s attention.  The 2003 Georgia Student Health Survey reports that youth who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than those who begin at 21. Yet, 34% of middle school students report having already had their first drink-- 20% of high school students report episodic heavy drinking. This trend also varies across demographics—white youth are significantly more likely to report both use of alcohol within the past month, as well as episodic heavy drinking. The repercussions of such abuse leads to poor life outcomes for all youth, and Georgia must develop more effective strategies to address substance use among teens. ^[2]

[1]Child Welfare Information Gateway http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/focus/earlybrain/earlybraina.cfm

[2]Protective Services Data: Annual Report 2005 http://dfcs.dhr.georgia.gov/DHR-DFCS/DHR-DFCS-publication/PSDS_2005_Report.pdf