12 percent decrease in countywide child abuse reported
According to new figures released, Center for Family Strengthening reports a 12 percent decrease in child abuse in San Luis County. The information cites statistics released by the Action for Healthy Communities 2013 Vital Signs Report, which sources data from the Child Welfare Services reports for California and the University of California at Berkeley Center for Social Services Research, 2006-2012.
“We’re pleased with the results,” said Lisa Fraser, executive director of center. “Despite a crushing recession and an increasing population we’ve achieved a significant decrease in child abuse in San Luis Obispo County. Our programs are being proven to be effective.”
“Child abuse and neglect are found in families across the social and economic spectrum. Social isolation, financial stress, poverty, substance abuse, and domestic violence are all factors that can lead to adults abusing children. And while San Luis Obispo County has seen a 12 percent decrease in total cases of substantiated child abuse from 2006 to 2012, the rate of substantiated cases for the county (13.9 per 1,000) was still higher than for the state of California as a whole (9.2 per 1,000) in 2012. General neglect accounted for 91 percent of child abuse cases in the county,” stated the 2013 report.
To donate or learn more about Center for Family Strengthening go to www.cfsslo.org or call (805) 543-6216.
