Reports of Child Abuse, Neglect Up 6%

Reports of child abuse and neglect in the county increased 6% last year, but experts said they are more concerned with the growing seriousness of crimes against children.

“I would say it’s been a slow increase in severity,” said Kathy McCarrell, director of the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center in Costa Mesa.

McCarrell said that in the last year she has seen a mother threaten her son with an ax, children living in a home among 50 rats and children being molested repeatedly.

The cases are tracked through the Orange County Child Abuse Registry, but the registry’s annual report did not explain why there were more cases reported.

Experts said the increase could have resulted from stepped-up prevention programs and a greater willingness to tell authorities about abuse.

“Just because reports are up doesn’t mean child abuse has gone up,” said Robin Beskind, assistant director of the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center. “We are growing more aware of the problem and are more willing to report it.”

The registry logged 36,808 reports in 1997, compared with 34,675 in 1996, reversing large declines in 1995 and 1996.

About 57% of the reports involved physical or sexual abuse. Those cases were down 5% from 1996. But experts said the beatings and molestations they are seeing are more severe.

Reports are made by police and probation officers, doctors, teachers, social services employees, therapists and others who have close contact with victims.

When the registry receives a call, the information is recorded and investigated.

“The child abuse reports are just total reports, so not all of them are sustained allegations,” said Roni Morse, senior research analyst with the Orange County Social Services Agency.

Those who work with victims agreed they are seeing more horrifying crimes against children.

“We do have many more referrals than we’re able to take,” said Tim Bauer, vice president of the programs for Olive Crest Children’s Center, which operates 13 Orange County homes for abused children. “I would say we get more referrals every year.”

As expected, Orange County’s largest cities had the most abuse cases. Santa Ana and Anaheim each had more than 6,000, while Los Alamitos, La Palma and Sunset Beach each had fewer than 200.

The Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center is stepping up efforts to train volunteers to work with at-risk families. Last year, 200 volunteers served 1,350 families with a total of 3,058 children.

For more information about the program, call (714) 722-1107.

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Children at Risk

Reports of child abuse and neglect in Orange County increased 6% in 1997, ending a two-year decline. More than half the reports involve children 4 to 12 years old; the majority are white or Latino:

Reports

1997 36,808

1997 Age Groups

Less than one year: 5%

1-3 years: 17%

4-7 years: 27%

8-12 years: 27%

13-18 years: 23%

Unknown: 1%

*

1997 Ethnicity

White: 46%

Latino: 43%

Black: 4%

Asian: 4%

Other/unknown: 3%

Source: Orange County Child Abuse Registry