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10/7/2007 Death stirs call for disclosure
Omaha World Herald 10/7/2007
10/6/2007 Child welfare change is praised
Omaha
World Herald 10/6/2007
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All children in Nebraska must have protection from
physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect and
exploitation.
In 2005, there were 3,324 substantiated cases of
child abuse or neglect involving 4,924 children in
Nebraska. In all, 12,897 cases of abuse or neglect
were investigated. The fact that evidence was not
found to substantiate the remaining cases does not
necessarily mean neglect or abuse wasn't present,
only that it wasn't proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Furthermore, thousands of additional calls come into
the statewide child abuse hotline as well as private
agencies across the state from people wanting to report
abuse or neglect, to seek resources, or to gain a
better understanding of child abuse and neglect.
According to Vital Statistics, 9 Nebraska children
died as a result of child abuse and/or homicide in
2005.
The three main classifications for child abuse are
neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Children
can experience more than one classification of abuse
and therefore Health and Human Services records all
types of abuse that apply to each individual child's
situation. Neglect has consistently been found to
be the most commonly substantiated form of child maltreatment.
A caregiver is found guilty of neglect if they have
not provided emotionally, physically, and/or medically
for a child. Infants and children who are labeled
failure to thrive are often the result of neglect.
5,976 children were reported as living in homes where
domestic violence was occurring in 2005. Living in
a home where there is domestic violence clearly impacts
children in a variety of negative ways. Children who
witness abuse, yet are not direct targets of violence,
often display symptoms that are similar to victims
of child abuse. In addition, when children are also
being abused or neglected in domestic violence situations,
the effects are exacerbated.
Download:
Issue Brief: Child Welfare
National Resource Center
for Domestic Violence
http://www.nrcdv.org/
Child
Welfare League
http://www.cwla.org/
"There shouldn't be abuse and I think it should
be a bigger law. Abuse can kill you, scare you, and
make you keep big secrets. Abuse is scary and I never
want to be abused myself. Abuse laws should be there
for not only children and babies; you have to think
about the abuse of adults, pets, and the abuse of
forest and the environment. Abuse happens everyday
and it really should come to an end." - Nebraska
6th grader (Kids Count 2000).
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