ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Weighing Kids’ Suffering

The Orange County Board of Supervisors was wise to commission a report on the status of children in the county, although the results proved depressing.

The county Social Services Agency compiled the 76-page report, drawing on a wealth of detail from law enforcement agencies, children’s groups and county departments such as the Health Care Agency. The conclusions provide a benchmark against which to measure progress in the field, and clearly much progress is needed.

The report shows that more children are living in poverty in a county that for far too long has borne the erroneous stereotype of an enclave where everyone is well-off. From 1980 to 1990, the number of children living in poverty increased by 42%. In the past four years, the number of children receiving assistance under the Aid to Families With Dependent Children program increased 74%, far more than the increase elsewhere in California.

The report also shows an increase in the number of children subjected to physical and emotional abuse. That is not surprising, because studies have shown a link between poverty and abuse. But it is alarming, for as the report notes, abuse and neglect devastate children and can harm them for life. Abuse can also become a vicious cycle, with abused children growing up to harm their own children. The report said poverty was a wellspring of disadvantages for children, increasing the likelihood of a troubled adulthood.

Perhaps the most shocking finding was the increase in gang membership, a rise of 35% in just the last two years. About 4,000 of the estimated 17,000 gang members in the county are thought to be 18 or under. County agencies have been making progress in their battle against gangs, but it will be a long fight. The report suggests how much work needs to be done, and from that standpoint alone, it is welcome.