State’s child abuse information startling
The West Virginia Child Advocacy Network has released its annual statewide data report for the 2024 fiscal year. Though most of us have some idea of the damage being done to Mountain State children, the report is eye-opening and horrifying.
The network’s child advocacy centers provide services in 47 of our 55 counties — safe facilities where children can interact with child protection, criminal justice and child treatment professionals. The work is done both to further investigations AND to help our kids heal.
Horrifyingly, the need for such services is only growing. Back in FY19-20, the centers served 4,404 children. That figure has increased every year since, and for FY 23-24, there were 4,909 children served. Nearly one quarter of those kids was between the ages of 0 and 6. Thirty percent of the children had reported or suspected disabilities.
Of those cases that required a forensic interview (4,702 of them), 66% revealed abuse — 48% sexual, 29% physical, 21% witness violence and 16% neglect.
Overwhelmingly, the alleged offender in these investigations was a parent. In fact, 95% of alleged offenders were a relative or someone the child knew. Only 235 cases involved an alleged offender that was unknown to the child.
In part because of the work done by child advocacy centers, 1,900 cases were closed last year, with 846 of them resulting in charges filed.
Comfort House Child Advocacy Center, located in Weirton is part of the Child Advocacy Network, serving these needs in Hancock and Brooke counties.
Policymakers have a monumental task ahead if they are to reverse the trends that created an atmosphere in which so many children end up needing the kind of care provided by child advocacy centers.
While they get to it, it is good to know the WVCAN is there for the kids who need them most.