By Elaine Thompson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
Friday, April 29, 2011
Massachusetts ranks No. 1 nationally for the highest rate of child abuse — mostly involving neglect — a ranking that officials say derives from the state's strict reporting laws.
Massachusetts had the highest rate of child abuse of any state in federal fiscal 2009, the latest year for which statistics are available, as well as in 2007 and 2008. Also, Massachusetts ranked second among the 50 states in 2004 through 2006, according to a report from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families.
Massachusetts' rate for 2009 was 24.2 per 1,000 residents, compared with the national average of 9.3. The Washington, D.C., rate of 28.8 was the highest. While maltreatment covers all forms of child abuse, including sexual, physical and psychological, about 78.3 percent of cases involved neglect.
Jennifer Kritz, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, said it is difficult to make reliable comparisons between states because of different levels of mandatory reporting. Each state also has its own definitions of child abuse and neglect that are based on federal standards. She said that Massachusetts has some of the strictest laws, thus the state has a higher rate. FULL STORY
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