Child abuse is one of the most rampant problems that affects the United States and significantly impacts the well-being of children who are victims of such mistreatment. Here are some critical facts and statistics that highlight the scope of this problem:

• Around five children die every day due to child abuse. This dreadful figure serves to illustrate a potent fact on what endangers vulnerable persons who are living in abusive circumstances.
• Also, it is sad to realize that one out of every three girls and one out of every five boys will become, victims of sexual abuse before they reach the age of 18. Moreover, it is sad that 90 % of the children assaulted sexually have links with the attacker, and 68 % of the children are abused by a family member.
• The majority of children suffer abuse and neglect from the time they are babies right up to school age. Succinctly, yes; more alarmingly, 60% of such children are 18 months old or younger and suffer a health crisis invariably. One survey showed that in the year 2010, 1,537 children lost their lives in America due to abuse or neglect. Of these, 79.4 percent were under four years old, while 47 percent were in the productive ages 15 to 64 years. 7 percent said they were less than one year of age.

Child abuse does not discriminate between genders. Boys (48.5%) and girls (51.2%) become victims at nearly the same rate. Each year, an estimated 3.6 million cases of child abuse are reported in the U.S. However, for every reported incident, it is estimated that two incidents go unreported, indicating that the true scale of child abuse is even more significant.

The repercussions of child abuse extend far beyond childhood. Abused and neglected children are 11 times more likely to engage in criminal behavior as adults. Additionally, about 80% of 21-year-olds who were abused as children meet the criteria for at least one psychological disorder. The correlation between childhood abuse and later criminal behavior is also stark, with 14% of all men and 36% of all women in prison having been abused as children.

Abused children are also less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy, which can further complicate their lives and perpetuate cycles of poverty and abuse.

Child abuse spans all socioeconomic levels, ethnic and cultural lines, religions, and education levels. Neglect is the most widespread form of child abuse, accounting for more than 59% of all cases.

It is noteworthy to recognize and deal with the issues of child abuse to prevent the maltreatment of children. Nancy Pusateri’s book, “Rising Up: A TRUE STORY OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE,” has been written from a close first-person point of view, allowing the reader the rare opportunity to visit the sordid world of child abuse firsthand. The story of Pusateri and the savage treatment by her father shows the effects that can linger even after the physical abuse has stopped.

Her book helps explain to a survivor that she understands what they’ve gone through and that she is there for them, and teaches the person who have never experienced such a form of darkness to educate themselves on what it means to others who have lived through it.