Lucy Berliner says CSA down, CPS fears loss of funds

Monday, March 22, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

Child-sex-abuse reports fell in '90s

By Jonathan Martin
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Good news in the child-abuse investigation field is rare, so social workers
can't be blamed for their skepticism of a new study that shows reports of
sexual abuse of children plummeted nationwide during the 1990s.
The drop — nearly 40 percent nationwide — was steeper in Washington, where
child-sexual-abuse reports fell by more than half, state records show.

The forces behind the decline documented in the Department of Justice study may
be the same reasons that the public has felt inundated by news of sex crimes.
Social outrage prompted lawmakers to pass a "two-strikes" law for all sex
crimes and to create a locked treatment facility for the most serious
predators. It also prompted teachers, child-care providers and doctors to more
quickly report suspicions.

Even researchers had trouble believing the trend. It was during the past
decade, after all, that people first got reports of sex offenders moving to
their neighborhoods and heard allegations of a widespread child-sex-ring
scandal in the Wenatchee area.

Tougher penalties for sex offenders may be helping


• Washington passed the nation's first law requiring registration and
community notification of sex offenders; at least 47 other states and the
federal government passed similar measures.
• The state in 1990 also created the Special Commitment Center for sexually
violent predators. About 190 prisoners are held at the McNeil Island facility.

• Thirty-six repeat sex offenders were sentenced to life in prison under a
"two-strikes" law passed in 1997.

• Greater emphasis was put on "mandatory-reporting" laws requiring medical
professionals, coroners, therapists, social workers, police, educators and
child-care providers to report suspected child abuse and molestation. The
state's hotline for reporting child abuse is 866-END-HARM (363-4276).



Researcher David Finkelhor, the prime author of the study, said his analysis of
reports by state child-protective services nationwide supports a simple but
surprising conclusion: There are far fewer children being molested.

Between 1990 and 2000, all but two states saw a drop of 30 percent or more in
the number of child-sex-abuse reports; such complaints in Washington and 18
other states fell by more than 50 percent, according to the study.

"The decline has gone on for such a long time and is so pervasive," said
Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the
University of New Hampshire. "It's just wonderful news. It also says something
we're doing is working."

Skeptics wonder whether his research is based on faulty data, but other studies
in the past decade support his thesis, Finkelhor said.

Anonymous self-reports of child-sex abuse fell sharply in Illinois and
Pennsylvania. National surveys of juvenile crime victims found sexual assaults
dropped more than 50 percent. Indicators of child trauma — such as teen
suicide and pregnancy — fell as well.

Lucy Berliner, a prominent authority at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center on
child-sexual abuse, said Finkelhor's research is so solid that some
child-welfare agencies fear they may face future cuts in funding.

"It's natural to be concerned that if we're successful in reducing a specific
problem, it will reduce its currency among legislators" writing state budgets,
she said. "It's perfectly understandable that there's a reluctance about
bragging."
***********************************************

Comments:

Of course, folks are more skeptical now about over the top claims of child
sexual abuse.

Remember the 15M McMartin trial in Los Angeles?

Respected and long-standing Preschool staff accused of incredible sex abuse
practices. Flying kids on jets. Underground tunnels.

Most costly trial in LA history--might have surpassed OJ's.

All based on the word of a non-paying, mentally ill Mom whose son attended
McMartin. Incredible.

Fern,

This post is even better than your first when you were claiming that CPS
was worried about "unfunding" (interesting word) since child sexual
molestation may be declining.

According to your post, Lucy Berliner says "It's natural to be concerned
that if we're successful in reducing a specific problem, it will reduce
its currency among legislators" writing state budgets, she said. "It's
perfectly understandable that there's a reluctance about bragging."

What she is saying is that given the current climate in this country, a
reduction in child sexual molestation is likely to be used as a reason
to cut an already undefended organization, which would result in even
fewer dollars to protect children.

Child sexual abuse is not the only way to neglect and abuse children.
Thankfully, child sexual abuse appears to be declining. This is no
reason to cut funding to an organization that protects children from all
forms of abuse and neglect. But I can certainly understand Lucy's
concern. Anything that can be used to take federal and state money away
from caring for and protecting children will be used in 2004. Isn't it
sad that we can't even celebrate success without fearing that the
success will be used to further deny children protection?

Get a grip, woman.

LaVonne

Fern5827 wrote:

Monday, March 22, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

Child-sex-abuse reports fell in '90s

By Jonathan Martin
Seattle Times staff reporter

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive




Good news in the child-abuse investigation field is rare, so social workers
can't be blamed for their skepticism of a new study that shows reports of
sexual abuse of children plummeted nationwide during the 1990s.
The drop — nearly 40 percent nationwide — was steeper in Washington, where
child-sexual-abuse reports fell by more than half, state records show.

The forces behind the decline documented in the Department of Justice study may
be the same reasons that the public has felt inundated by news of sex crimes.
Social outrage prompted lawmakers to pass a "two-strikes" law for all sex
crimes and to create a locked treatment facility for the most serious
predators. It also prompted teachers, child-care providers and doctors to more
quickly report suspicions.

Even researchers had trouble believing the trend. It was during the past
decade, after all, that people first got reports of sex offenders moving to
their neighborhoods and heard allegations of a widespread child-sex-ring
scandal in the Wenatchee area.

Tougher penalties for sex offenders may be helping


• Washington passed the nation's first law requiring registration and
community notification of sex offenders; at least 47 other states and the
federal government passed similar measures.
• The state in 1990 also created the Special Commitment Center for sexually
violent predators. About 190 prisoners are held at the McNeil Island facility.

• Thirty-six repeat sex offenders were sentenced to life in prison under a
"two-strikes" law passed in 1997.

• Greater emphasis was put on "mandatory-reporting" laws requiring medical
professionals, coroners, therapists, social workers, police, educators and
child-care providers to report suspected child abuse and molestation. The
state's hotline for reporting child abuse is 866-END-HARM (363-4276).



Researcher David Finkelhor, the prime author of the study, said his analysis of
reports by state child-protective services nationwide supports a simple but
surprising conclusion: There are far fewer children being molested.

Between 1990 and 2000, all but two states saw a drop of 30 percent or more in
the number of child-sex-abuse reports; such complaints in Washington and 18
other states fell by more than 50 percent, according to the study.

"The decline has gone on for such a long time and is so pervasive," said
Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the
University of New Hampshire. "It's just wonderful news. It also says something
we're doing is working."

Skeptics wonder whether his research is based on faulty data, but other studies
in the past decade support his thesis, Finkelhor said.

Anonymous self-reports of child-sex abuse fell sharply in Illinois and
Pennsylvania. National surveys of juvenile crime victims found sexual assaults
dropped more than 50 percent. Indicators of child trauma — such as teen
suicide and pregnancy — fell as well.

Lucy Berliner, a prominent authority at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center on
child-sexual abuse, said Finkelhor's research is so solid that some
child-welfare agencies fear they may face future cuts in funding.

"It's natural to be concerned that if we're successful in reducing a specific
problem, it will reduce its currency among legislators" writing state budgets,
she said. "It's perfectly understandable that there's a reluctance about
bragging."
***********************************************

Comments:

Of course, folks are more skeptical now about over the top claims of child
sexual abuse.

Remember the 15M McMartin trial in Los Angeles?

Respected and long-standing Preschool staff accused of incredible sex abuse
practices. Flying kids on jets. Underground tunnels.

Most costly trial in LA history--might have surpassed OJ's.

All based on the word of a non-paying, mentally ill Mom whose son attended
McMartin. Incredible.