Every year the National CASA Association surveys both state organizations and local programs to get an accurate reflection of the structure, operation and services provided by programs across the country. In 2011, there were 46 statewide CASA/GAL organizations. The entire CASA/GAL network consisted of 946 local and state programs. This year’s state organization survey drew 42 responses for a 91% response rate. Link to pdf Report
Tag Archives: Statistics
Child Abuse & Neglect Deaths In America
Gives reported statistics for child deaths due to child abuse and neglect by state for the years 2000-2010. Link to pdf Report
Signs of Sexual Abuse Tip Sheet for Media
A new pamphlet developed by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), What Is Child Sexual Abuse?, highlights various forms of sexual victimization and their distinctive signs and symptoms. Targeted to media professionals, the pamphlet summarizes common behavioral red flags displayed by sexually abused children. The brochure illustrates characteristic behaviors exhibited by child sexual abuse perpetrators and cites common factors influencing children’s ability to disclose sexual abuse. Finally, data on the prevalence of this problem is presented and briefly discussed. Link to pdf Tip Sheet
Comparing CA&N in Rural and Urban Areas
Certain child and family characteristics make cases of abuse and neglect more likely to be substantiated—or confirmed—by child protective services (CPS) in rural versus urban settings, according to a new issue brief by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. Using data collected in 2008 and 2009 for the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II), researchers found many similarities in confirmed cases across settings. However, cases of abuse and neglect with the following three characteristics were more likely to be confirmed in rural than in urban areas:
- Children age 11 or older (35 percent of rural cases confirmed versus 23 percent of urban cases)
- Parents experiencing cognitive impairments or domestic violence (72 percent of rural versus 54 percent of urban cases)
- Families with income greater than 200 percent of the Federal poverty level (36 percent of rural versus 26 percent of urban cases)
The authors explain that abuse and neglect confirmation often affects whether families will receive support services, but that most children with reported cases experience the same outcomes regardless of confirmation. Therefore, professionals should strive to provide similar services to families with unconfirmed cases in order to improve child outcomes and reduce risks for another report. Because CPS agencies in rural settings often are challenged by finding and keeping skilled workers and providing services across long distances, the issue brief concludes with recommendations for service providers in those areas. Link to Issue Brief
Evaluation Designs for Assessing Practice Models
When nonprofit agencies, counties, and States embark on implementation of a practice model, it is important to plan the evaluation of its effectiveness right from the beginning. Indeed, one of the first objectives for the team should be a decision about the evaluation design. It is imperative that the organization choose the most rigorous evaluation design that it can accommodate. This brief article describes a few rigorous evaluation designs that could be or have been utilized in assessing child welfare practice models. Link to Article
Epidemiology of Clergy Sexual Abuse in the U.S. Catholic Church
The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) is pleased to release its summer issue of the APSAC Alert electronic newsletter. It is provided in both English and Spanish. As an APSAC member or APSAC Affiliate (already subscribed to receive the Alert), there is no need for you to subscribe. This publication is delivered in Adobe PDF format to you on a quarterly basis. Feel free to forward this publication to colleagues and ask them to join you in becoming a part of APSAC. Attachments: