CHILD ABUSE

• Who must report child abuse?
• Are children required to testify in court?
• What is DYFS?
• How serious is Child Abuse as a national problem?
• How prevalent is child abuse in Essex County?
• What is the Wynona M. Lipman Child Advocacy Center?

Q: Who must report child abuse?
A: Any person who reasonably suspects that a child is a victim of child abuse must report this information to the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services, which has regional offices in Newark, East Orange and Bloomfield.

Q: Are children required to testify in court?
A: Although the courts have made certain provisions in order to make the presentation of child abuse cases easier on the victims, in most cases the child victim will be required to testify personally in the courtroom.

Q: What is DYFS?
A: The Division of Youth and Family Services is the agency created by the State concerned with the welfare of children. In many child abuse cases, especially those involving family members, DYFS will conduct an investigation cooperatively with the law enforcement authorities in order to ensure a child's future safety. For more information about DYFS, see www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dyfs/index.html.

Q. How serious is Child Abuse as a national problem?
A. Statistics on child victimization suggest that we are facing a national and local crisis when it comes to protecting our children. Each year in America it is estimated that:
 
  • 1 million children are victims of abuse and neglect
  • 130,000 children are sexually abused
  • 2,000 children die as a result of abuse and neglect
 
According to an article by Samantha Levine in U.S. News and World Report ("The Price Of Child Abuse", US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, 4/9/01), the nation's price tag for helping and protecting abused children is huge. Aside from the costs of immediate medical treatment, the effects of abuse continue long after the children have grown up, as society pays for the police, judges, medical personnel, counselors and others who must deal with the enduring scars of childhood maltreatment.

Child abuse costs this country upward of $94 billion every year, or $258 million a day. This amounts to a $1,462 annual toll for every American family, according to an analysis released by Prevent Child Abuse America, a Chicago-based group. This analysis only shows "the bare minimum of what is happening out there," according to PCAA spokesperson Kevin Kirkpatrick, because no agency is systematically compiling data on the nation's actual costs. The costs shown in the report are estimated using various sources of information ranging from mental healthcare and juvenile justice to the costs of building and running adult prisons and even lost productivity in the work place. But even such conservative ballpark figures are useful because they graphically illustrate how much could be saved by focusing more on prevention efforts, said David Finkelhor, a sociology professor and director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. Without early prevention, abused and neglected children do poorly in school, are more likely to become teen parents, and to abuse alcohol and drugs. They are also more likely to become criminals and to suffer from chronic health problems.

With a social problem this large, it seems at first surprising that good data about the cost of child abuse is generally not available. However, this is not surprising to Professor Finkelhor. Given the intense competition for severely limited resources, he points out that the highest priority must be given to treating abuse victims, not studying them.

Q. How prevalent is child abuse in Essex County?
A. Essex County suffers from one of the highest rates of child physical and sexual abuse in New Jersey. In 1998 there were 9,851 substantiated cases of child physical and sexual abuse in New Jersey. 22% of these cases (approximately 2,200) involved children from Essex County, representing more than one-fifth of the state total (Kids Count New Jersey 2000, Association for Children of New Jersey).

Q. What is the Wynona M. Lipman Child Advocacy Center?
A. The Wynona M. Lipman Child Advocacy Center was opened in October, 2000 as an historic partnership between the Children's Hospital of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the State of New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services. This Center, located at Beth Israel Hospital on Lyons Avenue in Newark, is a facility that is dedicated solely to the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect victims in Essex County. The Center represents the first co-location model in New Jersey where staff from Children's Hospital, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the State of New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services work together in one location. Its goal is to create a warm and non-threatening environment where the proper authorities can investigate child physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Children can receive medical care, counseling and other support services.

Services offered for children and their families include:

  • Multidisciplinary team investigation
  • Child-focused interviews
  • Medical evaluation and treatment
  • Counseling services
  • Support services
  • Community awareness programs
  • Specialized training

(Click here to see more about what the Wynona Lipman Child Advocacy Center means for children who have become victims of abuse).

The Center is named for the late State Senator Wynona M. Lipman of Newark, who dedicated much of her distinguished career to protecting the rights of children. Statistics indicate there is a tremendous need for this center in Essex County. Essex suffers from one of the highest rates of child physical and sexual abuse and neglect in New Jersey. In 1998, (the most recent year for which statistics are available), there were 9,851 substantiated cases of child physical and sexual abuse and neglect in the State of New Jersey. Twenty-two percent of these cases (or nearly 2,200 cases) involved children who live in Essex County. Newark children were victims in 66 percent of these cases.

The Center also provides access to state-of-the-art medical equipment, which reduces the number of emergency room visits for diagnostic medical exams and follow-up care. Therapy rooms provide an environment where children can begin healing from abuse. No offenders are brought to The Center, in keeping with its goal to create a secure environment for child abuse victims.