The Washoe County Sheriff has seen too many child abuse cases to count. Mike Haley told us, "I've witnessed cases where children have been burned by cigarettes, where they've been shaken so badly it causes brain damage."
Terrible acts of abuse that serve as a wake-up call...even more so after a report on the extent of child abuse in Nevada. The non-profit "Fight Crime: Invest in Kids" (fightcrime.org) says child abuse costs the state of Nevada over $100 million a year. Associate Director Ted Eismeier explained that number to us, saying "It doesn't just end when the call goes out to that police officer. There are long term costs that continue to cascade, and that's why we see amounts as high as $100 million in one single year."
They say close to 5,000 Nevada children were victims of abuse or neglect in 2010…that's 90 victims per week. Some are severe enough for a double-digit yearly death toll. And those on the front lines in Washoe County say it's getting worse. Public Health Nurse Rebecca Gonzales of the District Health Department told us, "I think we see more severe cases, absolutely." Sheriff Haley agreed, "Because of the economy, because of the lack of jobs, we're seeing an increase."
The demographics are chilling. The youngest Nevadans are by far the most vulnerable: one-third of all victims are under 4-years old. Almost half of abuse fatalities are under 1-year old. The emotional abuse to survivors too often leads them to crime. As Chief Steve Pitts of the Reno Police Department told us, "Too often these children are growing up into young adults and adults, and they're committing the same offenses, if not more violent offenses."
Child abuse itself is generational, passed from parent to child. Chief Pitts sees the "Same families, and you see the repetitive cycle, and you see the abuse and neglect."
Perhaps the most bedeviling fact about child abuse and neglect is that much of it is preventable. They all believe education and family support can save Nevada's children. Sheriff Haley wants state lawmakers to prioritize child-abuse prevention efforts more than they have, and fund programs that work. And he wants concerned citizens to contact their state representative. "They can impress upon their legislators that this is a serious issue. We need to solve it, and now's the time to do it, because our grade in this area is not a good one."
Investing in prevention, so fewer children are abused, neglected or possibly even killed.
-written by John Potter
You can see the report on child abuse in Nevada yourself: http://www.fightcrime.org/reno-washoe-county-law-enforcement-90-kids-in-nevada-abused-or-neglected-every-week/
More data: the National Children's Alliance statistical fact sheet:
http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/statefactsheets/2012/nevada.pdf
