Violence against children declined by about six million cases between 1993 to 2010, a recent report concludes.
The National Crime Victimization Survey showed violence against children declined from 12.6 to 3.9 percent.
The decline in violence against children will likely have a broad impact. Children exposed to violence are more likely to exhibit violent behavior as adults. According to the World Report on Violence and Health, “witnessing violence in the home or being physically or sexually abused may condition children or adolescents to regard violence as an acceptable means of resolving problems.”
The report examined violent acts such as rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
Even with the decline, approximately 2.8 million children experienced at least one violent or non-fatal violent act in 2010, the fi gures show.
“The decline in the number of children living in a household in which at least one member experienced violent crime corresponds with the decline in overall violent victimization during the same period,” the report said.
Here are some of the report’s fi ndings:
• For children ages 0-11, violence declined from 7.8 percent in 1993 to 2.9 in 2010.
• For ages 12-17, the decline was 16.3 percent to 4.1 for the same period.
• Households with both age groups declined 5.1 percent in 1993 to 1.8 in 2010.
• 6.5 percent of households consisting of one adult with one child reported acts of violence.
• 6.3 percent of single-parent households reported acts of violence against children.
• 4 in 10 households with children experienced at least one violent act inside the home in 2010.
• Households earning less than $15,000 reported higher levels of violence at 7 percen
