Crime, Violence and Abuse in the Lives of Children: A

Crime, Violence and Abuse in the Lives

of Children:

A Comprehensive Approach

David Finkelhor

Crimes against Children Research Center

University of New Hampshire

Social Justice for Children

Brooklyn College, NYC

4 November 2011

© 2011 Children’s Studies Center, Brooklyn College

Children More Victimized than Adults,

General Crime

Agg.

Assault

Simple

Assault

Rape Robbery

National Crime Victimization Survey, 2000

0

1

2

3

4

You

th R

isk

- A

du

lt R

isk

(12

-17)

2.0 x

2.9 x

2.3 x

1.9 x

Youth Have More Serious Crime Victimization

National Crime Victimization Survey, 2001

Adult Adult

Youth

Youth 5.7

10.1

5.7

15.8

Rural Youth More Victimized than Urban Adults

National Crime Victimization Survey, 2001

Youth (12-17) Adults

Statistical Gaps

• Crime victimization youth <12, annual

• Child molestation, victimizations or arrests,

annual

• Child abductions, annual

• Abuse by teachers, clergy, youth serving

orgs

• Children exposed to domestic violence

• Bullying, annual

• Much, much more….

5

Infectious Diseases Designated as Notifiable at the

National Level During 2005

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Anthrax

Botulism

Brucellosis

Chancroid

Chlamydia trachomatis, general infection

Cholera

Coccidioidomycosis

Cryptosporidiosis

Cyclosporiasis

Diptheria

Domestic arbovital diseases, neuroinvasice and

non-neuroinvasive

California serogroup virus disease

Eastern equine encephalitis virus disease

Powassan virus disease

St. Louis encephalitis virus disease

Ehrlichiosis

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection

EHEC O157:H7

EHEC Shiga toxin-positive, serogroup non-O157

EHEC Shiga toxin-positive, not serogrouped

Giardiasis

Gonorrhea

Haemophilus influenzae, invasive disease

Hansen disease (leprosy)

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

Hemolytic uremic syndrome, postdiarrheal

Hepatitis A, viral, acute

Hepatitis B, viral, acute

Hepatitis B, chronic

Hepatitis B, virus infection, perinatal

Hepatitis C, viral, acute

Hepatitis C, virus infection (past or present)

Infectious Diseases Designated as Notifiable at the

National Level During 2005 (cont).

Influenza-associated pediatric mortality

Legionellosis

Listeriosis

Lyme disease

Malaria

Measles

Meningococcal disease, invasive

Mumps

Pertussis

Plague

Poliomyelitis, paralytic

Psittacosis

Q fever

Rabies

Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rubella

Salmonellosis

Streptococcal disease, invasive, group A

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome

Streptococcus pneumoniae, invasive disease

Syphilis

Tetanus

Toxic-shock syndrome (other than streptococcal)

Trichinellosis

Tuberculosis

Tularemia

Typhoid fever

Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus infection

(VISA)

Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

(VRSA)

Varicella infection

Yellow fever

JVQ Modules

Module A: Conventional Crime

– Robbery

– Personal Theft

– Vandalism

– Assault with Weapon

– Assault without Weapon

– Attempted Assault

– Kidnapping

– Bias Attack

Module B: Child Maltreatment

– Physical Abuse by Caregiver

– Psychological/Emotional Abuse

– Neglect

– Custodial Interference/Family Abduction

Module C: Peer & Sibling Victimization

– Gang or Group Assault

– Peer or Sibling Assault

– Nonsexual Genital Assault

– Peer physical harassment

– Peer emotional harassment

– Dating Violence

Module D: Sexual Victimization

– Sexual Assault by Known Adult

– Nonspecific Sexual Assault

– Sexual Assault by Peer

– Rape: Attempted or Completed

– Flashing/Sexual Exposure

– Verbal Sexual Harassment

– Statutory Rape & Sexual Misconduct

Module E: Witnessing & Indirect Victimization

– Witness to Domestic Violence

– Witness to Parent Assault of Sibling

– Witness to Assault with Weapon

– Witness to Assault without Weapon

– Burglary of Family Household

– Murder of Family Member or Friend

– Witness to Murder

– Exposure to Random Shootings, Terrorism or Riots

– Exposure to War or Ethnic Conflict

Victimization in Last Year

Total and Selected Aggregates (Children 0-17, N=4549)

61

46

6 10

25 25

3-year running average

Major Victimization Types by Victim Age

Physical Assault

Witness Violence Property Victimization

Maltreatment

Sexual Victimization

Any Victimization

Indirect Exposure

to Violence

NATSCEV PY weighted

ANOVA includes sex, age, race/ethnicity, family structure and SES.

Poly-victims

“Poly-Victims”: Number of Past Year Victimizations and Trauma Symptoms

Priorities

• Evaluation of Prevention Strategies

– Parenting support and education

– School-based education

Improved Epidemiology

Trends in Children’s Exposure to Violence

U.S. Official and Survey Data

Sources: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book, NCANDS, National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), School Crime Supplement to the NCVS (SCS), Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Survey (HBSC), Child Trends

0.00

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

120.00

140.00

160.00

180.00

200.00

19

90

19

91

19

92

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

Grand Mean

Survey Data Mean

Official Data Mean

(36 indicators)

(26 indicators)

(10 indicators)

Source: NCANDS

Sexual Abuse Substantiation Rates:

1990-2009

61% Decline (1992-2009)

Rat

e p

er 1

0,0

00

Chil

dre

n (

<1

8)

5% Decline

(2008-2009)

Physical Abuse Substantiation Rates:

1990-2009

55% Decline (1992-2009)

Rat

e p

er 1

0,0

00

Chil

dre

n (

<1

8)

0% Decline

(2008-2009)

Source: NCANDS

Possible Mechanisms

Economic improvement

Increased agents of social intervention

More effective interventions

Psychopharmacology

Aggressive policing

Changing norms and awareness

Technology and surveillance

Finkelhor, D. (2008). Childhood victimization: Violence, Crime, and Abuse in the Lives of Young People. New York: Oxford University Press.

Daniel Schneider Child Welfare Book of the Year Award

For more information contact:

David Finkelhor

[email protected]

http://www.unh.edu/ccrc

© 2011 Children’s Studies Center, Brooklyn College