Child Maltreatment in Mecklenburg County

April 2014
Points of Interest:
The number of children reported abused or neglected has increased 41.9% , or 4,210 children, since 2004-05. Children under age 6 accounted for nearly 40% of child abuse and neglect reports. More than 59% of child abuse and neglect reports involved African American children despite the fact that they make up less than 32% of the child population. The number of children in foster care has declined more than 38% since 2004 -05. In 2012-13, DSS received reports of possible abuse and neglect for 14,259 children, up from 13,991 in 2011-12. Of those 14,259 reports, 2,238 were considered substantiated. In 2012-13, 48% (6,848) of reports involved children who were reported maltreated for a second, third, or more times.

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Child Maltreatment in Mecklenburg County

Child Abuse and Neglect

One of the most significant issues concerning child welfare is abuse and neglect. During the 2012-13 fiscal year, 14,259 children were reported abused or neglected in Mecklenburg County. These children represent 5.9% of all children under age 18 . 1 The number of children reported abused or neglected has increased in recent years. From 2004-05 to 201213, the number of children reported abused or neglected increased 41.9%, or an additional 4,210 children. The increase in children reported maltreated in Mecklenburg County outpaced the 6.2% increase experienced at the state-level during this same time.2 Reported Abuse/Neglect Victims, 2012-13

In understanding these numbers, it is useful to distinguish between first time reports and re-reports. In 2012-13, 52%, or 7,411, of reports involved first time reports. The remaining 48%, or 6,848, involved children who were reported as maltreated for a second, third, or more times. Since 2004-05, the percent of children who were re-reported as victims accounted for between 40% and 48% of all abuse reports.3

Substantiated vs. Investigated Reports

When discussing child maltreatment, it is important to distinguish between reports that have been substantiated and other categories of findings. Filing a report does not constitute a definitive case of abuse or neglect. A report is substantiated if a claim of abuse, neglect, or dependence is verified by the Department of Social Services (DSS). There are multiple reporting categories used to identify the types of maltreatment reported. They include: abuse and neglect, abuse, neglect, dependency, services needed, services provided-no longer needed, services recommended, unsubstantiated, and services not recommended. In fiscal year 2003-04, North Carolina implemented a multiple response system involving two types of assessments: investigative and family assessments. Investigative tract is decided based on the allegation type being reported. Prior to 2003, only one type of investigation existed; possible case findings included abuse, abuse & neglect, neglect, and dependency. These four classifications remain the case finding possibilities for Investigative Assessments. Family Assessments, on the other hand, have four additional case finding possibilities: services needed, services not recommended, services provided-no longer needed, and services recommended. Findings of services needed are similar to what used to be called a substantiation, requiring involuntary child protective services, and findings of services provided -no longer needed indicate that risk was high enough, at one time, to require involuntary services. Therefore, the number of substantiated reports equals the sum of six categories: abuse, neglect, abuse & neglect, dependency, services needed, and services provided-no longer needed.
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UNC Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families

This report was created in collaboration with UNC Charlottes Urban Institute.

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Child Child Maltreatment Maltreatment in in Mecklenburg Mecklenburg County County

Most Severe Maltreatment Findings, 2012-13

Most Severe Findings of Maltreatment

Family Assessments during FY 2012-13 determined that 6,156 children were recommended for services, 3,281 reports were deemed unsubstantiated, 2,584 of children were not recommended for services, and 940 were identified as needing services. The investigative assessments found that 636 children were victims of neglect, 502 were provided services, but those services are no longer needed, 81 were victims of abuse, 52 were victims of abuse and neglect, and 27 were victims of dependency. 6

Mecklenburg County Youth Population

As a demographic backdrop, in 2012, there were 242,486 youth under age 18 residing in Mecklenburg County; 70,402, or 29%, were under age five. This population has consistently made up the largest local youth group since 2005. The number of children under age 18 has grown by 15.8% since 2005 when approximately 209,351 children were residing in Mecklenburg County. Over this same time period, North Carolinas youth population grew approximately 7.1%. The adjacent graph demonstrates that, in 2012, five- to nineyear-olds constituted 28.8% of the youth population, ten- to fourteenyear-olds made-up 27%, and fifteen- to seventeen-year-olds constituted the smallest population at 15.2% of Mecklenburg Countys youth population.7 Youth Breakdown by Age, 2012

Youth under age 18, 2012

Racial/Ethnic Breakdown, 2012

6 7 8

UNC Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families US Census ACS 1-Year Estimates Table B01001 US Census ACS 1-Year Estimates Table B01001 B, D, G, F, H, I

Youth demographics in Mecklenburg County are racially diverse. In 2012, 37.1% of youth under age 18 were identified as white, 31.4% were identified as African American, 16.9% were identified as Latino, 4.6% of were identified as Asian, and the remaining children were identified as multiple races (5.4%), or as other races (4.6%).8

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Child Maltreatment in Mecklenburg County

Do Reports Differ Along Racial Lines?

Like age, race is a distinguishing factor when looking at victims of child abuse and neglect in our community. Children reported abused or neglected over the past eight years show differences along racial lines. Minority children are consistently reported as potential victims of child maltreatment at higher rates than their non-minority counterparts. Since 2004-05, African American children consistently accounted for more than half of all children reported abused or neglected. In fiscal year 2012-13, 59.3% of reported victims were identified as African American children. This means that 8,452 African American children were reported abused or neglected, the highest number in the past nine years. Children identified as other races e xperienced the second highest incidence of reported abuse and neglect, accounting for 25.3% of all reports in 2012-13. While the number of children reported abused or neglected has increased for African American and other minority children, the number of identified white children reported maltreated decreased 5.1% between 2011-12 and 2012-13.8 Since 2004-05, the number of African American children reported abused or neglected has increased 49.9%, and the number of children identified as an other race increased 58.9%. These increases far outpace the increase observed in white children; a po pulation that experienced an increase of 2.8%, or an additional 59 children since 2004-05. 9

Reported Victims by Race, 2012-13

In Mecklenburg County, 39.4% of children under age 18 were identified as white in 2012. In the same year, white children accounted for 15.4% of children reported abuse or neglected in fiscal year 2012-13. With the majority of children reported abused or neglected identifying as African American, a disparity among youth in our community is apparent considering African American children account for 33.3% of the total child population in 2012.10 At the state level, the racial breakdown of child abuse and neglect reports paints a different picture. In 2012-13, white children accounted 53.4%, African American children accounted for 34.9%, and other minority children accounted 11.6% of reports.11

Does Gender Make a Difference?

When comparing the gender of child abuse victims, little difference can be seen. In 2012-13, slightly more males were reported victims of abuse and neglect than females. As the number of victims of abuse and neglect has increased, a sharper increase in female children reports was experienced. Since 2004-05, reports involving male and female children grew comparably, increasing 34.5% and 33.5% respectively. In previous years, a larger gap existed between the number of males and females compared to more recent years where the difference is negligible.
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Victims by Gender, 2012-13

In North Carolina, the percent of reported victims who were males and females was roughly 50.9% and 49.1% respectively.

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UNC Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families US Census ACS 1-Year Estimates Table B01001 B, D, G, F, H, I 12 UNC Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families

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Child Maltreatment in Mecklenburg County

Foster Care
Foster care is a temporary living arrangement for abused, neglected, or dependent children in need of a safe place to reside while their parents or relatives are unable to care and provide for them. When the Department of Social Services (DSS) believes a child is not safe and a judge has agreed, DSS takes custody of the child and places him or her in a temporary foster home. In 2012-13, 967 children were placed in foster care custody in Mecklenburg County. From 2004-05 to 2006-07, the number of children in foster care increased from year-to-year. Since 2007, the number of children in DSS custody has steadily declined. The current number of children in foster care is 38.5% lower than it was 2004-05.12 The steady decline in the number of children taken into custody is reflective of a 2008 change in the federal law requiring DSS to invest funding into families to address abuse, neglect, and dependency through community-based services and interventions prior to removal; the efforts to place children into kinship care, guardianship, or adoption and not into the foster care system; and the aging out of a number of children placed into custody in prior years. The adjacent graph demonstrates that in fiscal year 2012-13, 66.4% of children in foster care were identified as African American, while 17.1% were identified as an other race, and 16.5% were white. Hispanic children accounted for 13.3% of children in care and the rest were identified as non-Hispanic. The incidence of children in foster care did not vary much by biological sex; males accounted for 51% of children in foster care in 2012-13. North Carolina findings by sex were similar.13 Children is Foster Care Custody Children is Foster Care Custody

Do Reports Vary by Age?

In Mecklenburg County, the youngest children are most frequently reported as victims of maltreatment. During the 2012-13 fiscal year, 39.9% of children reported abused or neglected were under age 6. Children ages 6 to 12 comprised the second largest group or 38.5% children reported abused or neglected, followed by children ages 13 to 17 constituting 21.2% of children reported abused and neFirst Report by Age, 2012-13 glected.14 Similar to Mecklenburg County, children under age 6 in North Carolina make-up the largest percent, 41.1%, of victims reported abused or neglected in 2012-13. Children ages 6 to 12 accounted for 38.2%, and the remaining 20.3% of reported victims were ages 13 to 17.15 Like victims of abuse, children in foster care in Mecklenburg County were likely to be young children. In 2012-13, 65.9% of all children in foster care were under the age of 13. The remaining 34% of children in foster care were age 13 or older. Unlike child maltreatment, children age 18 and over are included if they are still in foster care.16
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UNC Jordan Institute for Families

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Child Maltreatment in Mecklenburg County

Who Reports Abuse?

Referral Sources for Children Reported Maltreated, 2012-13 To protect the youth of our community, reporting abuse or neglect is not only essential, it is mandatory. North Carolina law mandates that any person or institution who suspects that a child is abused, neglected, or dependent must make a report to the county department of social services. In Mecklenburg County, the court system, educational personnel, and human services reported the majority of children abused and neglected in 2012-13. The remaining sources for reports included relatives, medical personnel, and anonymous persons. Very few reports of abuse or neglect were reported by victims or care providers, as these sources accounted for less than 1%.17

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UNC Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families

About
The purpose of this document is to compile publically-available data on child maltreatment to inform concerned stakeholders. It is produced annually in April for Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month. In the future, Council for Childrens Rights will en deavor to include additional data points, diversify data sources, and interrogate the data more critically. Beginning in 1983, April was nationally designated as Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month. Council for Childrens Rights chairs the Mecklenburg County Child Abuse Awareness Month Committee. This collaborative committee is spearheading a public awareness campaign to educate the community about mandatory reporting and implementing a school-based initiative to protect the physical and mental health of our children. Part of this campaign involves planting Pinwheel for Prevention gardens aroun d the community to ensure that people notice and stand-up for children. As the numbers throughout indicate, the majority of child abuse reports come from individuals working directly with children. However, it fails to capture every child in jeopardy as abuse and neglect is largely underreported. Our organization and the committee understand that, to ensure every childs safety, the community must be educated on the definitions of child abuse, the signs exhibited by a child who is abused, and the ways that they can intervene to potentially save the life of an abused child. Protecting children is the responsibility of every adult. If you have a concern, please report to Youth Family Services at 704.336.CARE (2273).

Data Source Information

Population data found in this report is from the US Census Bureau Population Estimates Division : U.S. Census Bureau: Population Estimates 2011. (2012) 10 March 2014. <http://www.census.gov/popest/>. Child maltreatment and foster care data used in this report is from UNC Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families, part of the UNC School of Social Work. Data is found through the Management Assistance for Child Welfare, Work First, and Food and Nutrition Services in North Carolina and is available for all counties in North Carolina. Duncan, D.F., Kum, H.C., Flair, K.A., Stewart, C.J., Vaughn, J., Bauer, R, and Reese, J. (2013). Management Assistance for Child Welfare, Work First, and Food & Nutrition Services in North Carolina (v3.1).