DALLAS, TX—
A new documentary by the BBC provides a sobering look at child abuse in the United States. "America's Child Death Shame" highlights the escalating rates of abuse and in particular points to Texas as leading industrialized nations when it comes to child abuse cases. Texas last year had nearly 10% of all child homicide cases. In the US, about 2500 children were killed.The startling statistics aren't surprising to Sgt. Brenda Nichols, who heads the child abuse unit with the Dallas Police Department. Nichols has seen the brutality during her six years with the squad.
"We see atrocities. I am not just talking about children being beaten. I am talking about torture."
Nichols attributes the possible escalation in child abuse rates to denial and indifference in the public, from people who don't want to see the problem in their neighborhood.
"It doesn't matter if you live in a big house or in a rich area or a poor area, that has nothing to do with child abuse because it is everywhere."
A fact that became clear last week when allegations of child sexual abuse emerged at Penn State, surrounding popular football coach, Joe Paterno. Authorities are investigating how much Paterno knew about possible abuse by defensive coordinator, Rick Sandusky. A witness says Sandusky was having sex with young boys in the campus showers.
"I think we really need to look at this not as a Joe Paterno thing or a Penn State thing, this is a societal thing," Lynn Davis, with the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, said.
Davis says the university investigation is drawing attention to the issue. Last year in Dallas County, there were 33,000 reports of suspected child abuse and 6,000 confirmed cases. Davis says an education push to help the public understand the problem, along with strict reporting laws have made a difference, but not enough.
"We know that only three out of ten people who are considered mandatory reporters under the law who witness or suspect abuse actually report it."
To curb the disturbing trend, most experts agree that along with education, programs that teach better parenting skills can make a difference.
"Some parents think you have to potty train at two-years old and when that doesn't happen they punish the child ruthlessly," Executive Director of TexProtects, Madeline McClure, said.
McClure's group helped lobby state lawmakers to fund a partnership between nurses and families to help support first time, low-income parents, who are considered at risk.
"Those mothers are getting a nurse matched up with them during pregnancy and after who is helping teach her well baby care and things she doesn't know because she may have been abused herself."
