Citation

McCarthy BJ, Rochat RW, Cundiff B, Gould PA, Quave S. South. Med. J. 1981; 74(1): 11-16.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, Southern Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7455733

Abstract

The number of reported cases of physical child abuse in Georgia from July 1975 to June 1978 increased. Of 4,292 cases reported, 57% were confirmed. School officials most often reported cases of suspected abuse; 69% were confirmed by social work investigation. Metropolitan black female children had the highest residence/race/sex-specific abuse rates. The highest abuse rate for boys was for the 0- to 3-year-old group, while for girls the highest abuse rates were for the 13- to 16-year-old group. Both natural parents were present in 39% of the confirmed cases, and a natural parent was the abuser in 62% of the cases. Of the natural mothers who were confirmed abusers, 53% had been pregnant as teen-agers. Thirty-eight children died after being abused, with the highest death-case ratio being 62 per 1,000 abused children for black girls aged 0 to 4 years.

Language: en