Child Abuse Cases Up 261% in 10 Years, L.A. Police Say

Child abuse and sexual exploitation of children have reached epidemic proportions in Los Angeles, straining the resources of the Police Department’s juvenile division with a 261% increase in cases over the last decade, the unit’s commander said Tuesday.

Capt. John White told the Los Angeles Police Commission that there are 14 field detectives in his division to deal with criminal child abuse cases totaling 3,346 in 1984, compared to 927 cases in 1974, when the unit had 12 investigators.

The number of sexual abuse cases involving children rose from 69 in 1974 to 344 in 1984, a 399% increase, White said.

“Much of this increase can be attributed to changes in the mandatory child abuse reporting laws and media focus on the problem of child abuse,” he said. “However, it is believed that a part of the increase represents an actual rise in the incidence of child abuse. In the last two years, an especially sharp increase has been noted in reported sexual abuse cases.”

Citing child abuse trends, White reported that:

- More than 120,000 California children are reported as abused each year.

- As many as 50% of abuse cases go unreported.

- 80% of physically abusive mothers were sexually abused as children.

- 84% of juvenile delinquents were victims of abuse.