Child Abuse, Poverty Up, O.C. Report Shows : Study: Rates of increase outpace state trends. Participation in gangs, crime also rise.

Orange County children, especially minorities, increasingly are falling victim to poverty and abuse, while their participation in gangs and crime has risen to staggering levels, according to a new county report.

The 76-page report, touted as the most comprehensive local study of its kind, examines virtually all facets of life and paints a relatively grim picture for local children.

Of all the trends analyzed in the report commissioned by the County Board of Supervisors, perhaps the most disturbing is the dramatic increase in local gang membership and the incidence of child abuse.

For example, local law enforcement agencies found that the number of known gang members increased by 35% to 16,902 in just the past two years. About 4,000 of them are 18 years old or younger, and an overwhelming number are Latino, according to the report.

In two years, 43 people have died in gang-related slayings, a 54% increase.

“The amount and senselessness of gang violence in Orange County has escalated radically and continues to escalate,” the report stated.

Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, who initially called for the report, could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and other officials declined to discuss the findings until its release Friday.

The gang-related numbers seem to confirm what county officials have described as a serious threat to public safety, prompting the call for a Nov. 30 countywide summit in Anaheim to address the issue.

But the proliferation of gangs, according to the report, is not the only threat to the safety of local children.

The reports of child abuse and neglect are accelerating at a faster rate than they are statewide.

That statistic “is an indicator of how safe children are in their own home,” the report states. “In Orange County, the number of . . . reports filed and referred for assessment each year has steadily increased.”

From 1989 to 1992, child abuse reports jumped from 25,850 to 33,356. Although social service officials stated in the report that the current numbers are “substantially lower” when compared to statewide averages, the rate of increase outpaces both state and national trends.

Officials also found that in Orange County the abuse is more likely to be physical or sexual than it is statewide.

In 1992, 21% of the Orange County cases and 18% statewide involved sexual abuse. Other physical abuse accounted for 44% of incidents here compared to 32% statewide. All other cases involved neglect, emotional abuse or exploitation.

“Abuse and neglect are devastating to children and can have lifelong adverse consequences,” the report stated.

Among the measures listed in the report to help reduce the tragedy was more “parenting and family life education in the schools and in the workplace.”

Officials found that poverty played a major role in homes where children were victimized by abuse. And in Orange County, the number of children living below the poverty line was also increasing substantially.

From 1980 to 1990, the number of children living in poverty increased by 42%. (Poverty was defined as income of $10,560 or less for a family of three in 1990.)

And in the past four years, the number of children receiving government assistance under the Aid to Families With Dependent Children program went up by 74%. During the same period, the statewide increase in the number of children receiving those payments was less than half the rate in Orange County.

“This increase in Orange County children having to rely on (welfare) comes at a time when grants have been repeatedly reduced,” the report stated. Currently, a family of three receiving the maximum AFDC grant allowed by the state receives less than 65% of the federal poverty figure, the study found.

“The number of children living in poverty is perhaps the single most important indicator of the well-being of children in a community,” the report stated. “Poor children suffer cumulative disadvantages which increase the likelihood of negative outcomes for them.

“Unfortunately, however, the incidence of childhood poverty is on the rise in Orange County,” the study stated.

Where there was reason for hope--in categories measuring the overall health of local children, for instance--officials found that ethnic minorities consistently fared worse than Anglo youths.

In the area of infant mortality, considered to be an indicator of how effectively a community protects the health of its children, officials found that Orange County rated considerably better than state and national figures. However, “a worsening trend” was found among African-Americans.

Incidence of low birth weight is considered to be a major factor in infant mortality, and again Orange County, overall, fared well compared to state and national statistics. But health in this category was not equally enjoyed among minorities, specifically African-Americans and those of Asian heritage.

Perhaps the greatest ethnic disparities in child-related health were found in prenatal care.

A four-year study showed that about 87% of Anglo women sought prenatal care within the first three months of pregnancy. In comparison, only 75% of African-American women and 60% of Latinas did the same.

“Early prenatal care is critically important in reducing the incidence of low birth weight, premature infants, as well as infant deaths within the first year of life,” the report stated.

Child Abuse Up

The rate of child abuse reports in Orange County has risen since 1989 but is lower than the statewide rate. Number of child abuse reports per 1,000 children under 18 years old:

Orange County California 1992 53.5 73.4

Source: First Annual Report on the Condition of Children in Orange County

Children: Poverty and Gangs

More children under 18 years old are living below the poverty line in Orange County. The number of known gang members has also risen.

Known gang members: October, 1991: 12,500 December, 1992: 15,300 August, 1993: 16,902 Children living below the poverty line: 1980: 46,241 1990: 65,463 Percent of juveniles on probation who are gang members: 1989: 19% 1991: 40% 1993: 52% Note: In 1990, a family of three that earned less than $10,560 was below the poverty line.

Source: First Annual Report on the Condition of Children in Orange County