Recent Studies Show Limited Decline of Abuse Cases

 Posted on February 22, 2013 in Child Custody

The Chicago Tribune reports that there have been limited successes when it comes to home visits and interventions by medical personnel when it comes to the prevention of child abuse. This study was performed based on several U.S. based studies as well as ten different international based analyses. The United States Department of Health and Human Services reported that there were approximately 675,000 documented cases of child abuse in 2011. This number represents about one percent of the nation’s children. In approximately nine percent of these cases there were incidents of sexual abuse. These studies included families that were at high risk for abuse based on questionnaires that were filled out and referrals from medical personnel. There were certain variables such as one family not receiving any home visits but they were left with child abuse education materials and then referred to a social worker. Some of the programs observed were directly linked to a lower number of abuse cases being reported. This number did not represent a lower instance of abuse but just that they were not being reported. It is the agency’s goal to create programs that will help children that are being abused as well as preventing abuse before it starts. They also want to investigate the harm that some of the current programs may be causing. There is the option of removing the children from the home and placing them into foster care, but that opens the door to other potential dangers and issues. If you have been the victim of an abusive situation or are concerned for the safety of your children in the home of a former mate or a family member,  enlist the assistance of an experienced Illinois family law attorney. Your attorney can make a recommendation for the best course of action in your situation.