Historical aspects and statistics of child abuse as well as its relevance to the New York City police department-NYPD today. .

             Child abuse is creating harm to a child or neglecting a child by another individual, whether it is an adult or a child. Child abuse can be in the nature of physical, verbal, emotional or sexual or by means of neglect as well. Abuse might result in serious forms of injury towards the child and might also lead to death. (Child Abuse: keepkidshealthy.com) Even though child abuse is considered to be an alarming social problem in the United States, yet the complex nature of its beginnings have just being started to be completely recognized. (Better understanding of Child Abuse and Neglect needed) It needs to be understood that most of the historical families had at one point of time practiced infanticide, erotic beating and that of incest. (The History of Child Abuse) .

             Child abuse was then considered to be matters which were involved within the family and there was nobody to interfere on behalf of an abused child. It was from the 1960s that the various states had begun to implement the reporting of laws pertaining to child abuse and emphasizing that child abuse is an important public health matter. (Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: Protecting New York's Children) But still it needs to be noted that the reported cases of child abuse have grown at alarming rates from 416,033 per year in 1976 to that of 1,700,000 per year during the 1990's in the whole country and in New York City this is being witnessed at alarming frequencies. (Better understanding of Child Abuse and Neglect needed).

             Every year, about 79,000 children are being reported and confirmed to have been abused in New York City and about 1 out of every 3 children face abuse by the time that they would have reached the age of 18. (The Children's Advocacy Center of Manhattan) Out of the 1.8 million children who live in New York City, it is found that about 450,000 are found to be in contact with that of the child welfare system at some point of time.