American children are suffering from a hidden epidemic of child abuse and neglect. Every year, 3.3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving nearly 6 million children (a report can include multiple children). The United States has the worst record in the industrialized world – losing five children every day due to abuse-related deaths.1. In addition, about 58,000 children are abducted in the United States annually by people who have no blood relationship to them, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice (2011). According to Nancy McBride, national safety director at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the great majority of these crimes are “sexually motivated.” Contrast this with the following data: the Children’s Defense Fund report, which was released March 23, 2011 is based largely on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2008 and 2009. The group’s analysis found that 2,947 children and teens died from gunfire in 2008 and 2,793 died in 2009. Although, the number of children killed by gunfire (this includes suicides) is not negligible, it palls when compared to the millions of kids who are abused, molested, kidnapped, and murdered without ceasing; most of the time this happens because of porn-fueled fantasies engrained within the minds of sick adults. What are you going to do about this Mr. President?
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2011). Child Maltreatment 2010. Available from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can