A Comprehensive Report To Tackle Child Abuse Fatalities

Utah has a fairly low rate of child abuse fatalities compared to the rest of the country, but nationwide there are an estimated 4 to 8 child abuse related deaths every day. A report, released Thursday, from the Commission to End Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities highlights which steps the government should be taking when addressing those deaths.

The purpose of the report called Within our Reach was to discover which practices do and do not work to reduce child abuse fatalities. It also identifies solutions for those problems.

David Rubin is a commissioner for CECANF and a pediatrician. He said the nation experienced a rise in child abuse deaths over the last several years.

“Even though we quote that between 4 and 8 kids die of child abuse and neglect each day,” he said. “ ... the reality is that there may be 10 times as many children who are not dying and who are being kept alive with non-fatal abuse, which, for all intents and purposes, are the same children except they survived.”

Michael Petit said he has been involved with child welfare for more than 40 years.

“This is the most comprehensive process of what needs to be done to curb abuse fatalities that I’ve seen during that period,” he said.

Within our Reach is one piece of a bigger, multi-faceted federal push to wipe out child abuse nationwide. That step of eradicating abuse comes only after those involved - including welfare commissioners, pediatricians, law enforcement officials, researchers, tribal leaders, advocates, policy makers and parents - are all on the same page. This report attempts to address that issue.

CECANF was kicked off by the Protect Our Kids Act of 2012 and the six commissioners involved were appointed by the president.