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The 25 U.S. Counties Where the Most Children Are Living in Poverty

Posted by Claire Whitmore

Click the image to view the full-size visualization Even today, poverty affects millions of lives across the United States, including children. A staggering 16% of all children in the country live below the poverty line, impacting their education, health, and overall well-being. While poverty statistics might seem abstract, its effects go beyond individual families, affecting entire communities, straining social services, and limiting future opportunities for economic mobility. The sobering prevalence of child poverty urgently demands solutions that address both the immediate needs of children in poverty and the long-term systemic barriers that perpetuate financial hardship. With data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this report from PARequirements aims to highlight the extent of child poverty and its devastating impact. Click here to download the printable PDF version of the chart. Causes of Child Poverty Child poverty is driven by multiple factors, many of which ...

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Recognizing Signs of Trauma in Children: A Guide for Professionals

Posted by Claire Whitmore

As professionals who work with children, whether in education, healthcare, or social services, it is essential to be able to recognize signs of trauma. Trauma can have profound and long-lasting effects on a child's well-being, development, and future opportunities. This guide will help understand more in-depth the significance of identifying trauma in children and provide insights into the appropriate steps to take if the situation ever arises. The importance of recognizing signs of trauma in children cannot be overstated for professionals who work closely with them. Trauma can also cause severe effects on a child's mental health and behavior. This post aims to provide professionals with insights into recognizing signs and understanding the appropriate steps to take. By doing so, professionals can intervene early and effectively, offering vital support to children in need. Another thing this guide will cover is various aspects of trauma in children, including definition, ...

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U.S. Cities With the Most and Fewest Cases of Human Trafficking

Posted by Claire Whitmore

Human trafficking in the United States is a dangerous situation for both children and adults across the country, with thousands of cases being reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline every year. There were a total of 13,370 cases of human trafficking reported over nine years in just the 100 most populous U.S. cities alone. Using human trafficking statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, the NYRequirements.com team mapped out the 25 cities that were found to have the most cases, and the 25 cities that had the fewest human trafficking cases between December 7, 2007, and December 31, 2016. A case is a unique report, situation, or request for resources that originated as a signal to the hotline. Each case included in the report was evaluated for evidence of potential human trafficking and was determined to have either high or moderate indicators of human trafficking. While some U.S. cities have only experienced a handful of human traff...

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Be Prepared: The Role of Nurses in Preventing Child Abuse

Posted by Claire Whitmore

In 2021, there were 38,013 reported cases of child abuse in Pennsylvania - that accounts for 14 reported cases per 1,000 children. That same year, the national average was 8.1 cases per 1,000 children. While these numbers are distressingly high, they only account for reported cases. There are undoubtedly countless more instances taking place. These children often have no advocates to help protect them and prevent abuse. How can we in the healthcare community help to support and protect these at-risk children? It comes down to understanding how to identify signs of abuse and how to effectively communicate about abuse so that swift action can be taken. Identification For nurses, understanding the warning signs of abuse can be critical. Signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect can be broken down into three key areas: behavioral cues, symptom cues, and physical cues. 1 - Behavioral Cues Behavioral cues refer to observed actions in children. These could be in response to...

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Which U.S. States Have the Highest Rates of Child Abuse Cases?

Posted by Claire Whitmore

Child abuse is a hidden epidemic that is happening around the globe, and the United States is no exception. In fact, out of all of the industrialized nations, the U.S. has one of the worst records of child abuse. According to child abuse statistics shared by the nonprofit Childhelp, a report of child abuse is made every ten seconds in the United States. Where in the U.S. are children suffering the most from abuse? NY Requirements put together this visual to determine which states have the highest rates of child abuse cases. Our team pulled data from the Child Maltreatment 2020 report compiled by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to find the number of child victims in each state in 2020. The number of victims was then compared to the total number of people under the age of 18 who reside in the state to find the rate of child abuse cases in each state. While these child abuse facts are eye-opening, it’s an important statistic to high...

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What Can You Do To Prevent Bullying?

Posted by Emily Pazel

In this day and age, there’s no escaping the constant ridicule of bullying. For school-aged children, the bullying doesn’t just stop once they come home from school – it’s virtual and all around them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It doesn’t stop. And, unfortunately, it’s harder to prevent and control. So, is there anything you can do? That answer to that question is yes! While bullying might look a little differently than it did when you were a kid, it’s still the same concept. Since the month of October is National Bullying Prevention Month, it could be a great opportunity for you, as a parent or a person that works closely with children, to take a step back to learn the signs and make steps can be taken towards helping someone that may be experiencing bullying. Although bullying may seem like an ordinary thing that everyone experiences at some point during their life, it should be prevented or acknowledged as it could l...

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How to Talk to Your Kids About Hate

Posted by Emily Pazel

As growing protests throughout major cities and talks about racism and police brutality have emerged recently, you might have noticed that your children are curious about the news and want to learn more about it. While many children are still sheltering at home due to Coronavirus restrictions, parents might have eased up on screen time a little, resulting in children seeing videos or news of protestors taking a stand after George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, was arrested and later died under police custody. With both negative and positive messages flooding news channels and social media outlets 24 hours a day, it’s hard to not be concerned whether or not your child understands what’s going on or fully comprehends the situation. Taking the time to talk with them and listen to them could help them understand better, while also creating a strong bond and connection between yourself and the child to engage in further communication down the road.&nb...

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Beware of the Online Predators: What to look for & how to react

Posted by Emily Pazel

Technology today is ever-growing and reaching people both young and old, it is important to know the real threat behind dangerous people creeping among the internet looking for their next victims. Even though we now have easy and direct communication with long-distance family members and friends, the internet also allows complete strangers to lure unsuspecting children into their grasp. On the internet, people have the advantage of being much more anonymous than in the real world, and because of this, online predators can create fake accounts and profiles to trick people into thinking they are a friend or someone they can trust. Especially for young children, bad situations can arise fast and it is good for them to have a trusting adult that they can go to for help. As a parent, it is good to know this information to help your kids remain as safe as possible. And if you are a professional that works or sees children on a daily basis, it is also critical that you are able to pinpo...

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National Safety Month: Constructive Ways to Prepare for the Worst

Posted by Emily Pazel

With an international pandemic looming, you might have found yourself sticking around your house more than usual lately. Maybe your kids are doing virtual school and won’t be going back for the rest of the school year, and you need some ideas to keep busy. Or, maybe you don’t have children but still need something constructive to do at home to ensure your sanity. Either way, you are in luck! The month of June is National Safety Month. Each week, you can take the opportunity to re-evaluate your safety plans and improve your safety standards at home, in the community or even at work. Whether it’s increasing your first aid knowledge and emergency awareness through drills or taking a quick online CPR class, you can take steps to be better prepared for when an emergency strikes. Family Safety Tips No matter how big or small your family is, safety should be a major priority with the ones that you love in order to keep them safe and sound. There are many...

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What do you know about Foster Care?

Posted by Emily Pazel

All children deserve a loving home and a comfortable bed to sleep in, and through the foster care system, caregivers are able to help children find the happy medium they deserve until they are adopted or placed back with their rightful families. In 2018, there were over 400,000 children that were living in foster care, with nearly one third of them living with relatives of some kind. During the month of May, we celebrate National Foster Care Month to recognize those that play a critical role in enhancing the lives of children in foster care, and by increasing the spotlight on the needs of children who may be living in tough situations around the country. So, maybe you or someone that you know is looking into foster care and how it works? We are here to explain the process and make it a little easier to understand. What is foster care? And how does it work? Foster care, by definition, is a temporary living situation for children whose parents cannot take care of...

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Human Trafficking: What to Look Out for & Report

Posted by Emily Pazel

Although it’s not a light-hearted topic to discuss, human trafficking is a huge problem that happens around the globe more often than you think. In fact, around 40 million people every year are impacted in some form by this tragic situation around the world. Every year in January, human trafficking – which is the exploitation of individuals through threat or use force, coercion, abduction, fraud, and/or deception – is brought to light during National Human Trafficking Month to help raise awareness about this deeply disturbing event and aims to try to put an end to it, which is a large feat to undertake. Unfortunately, among the different types of human trafficking, child sex trafficking and the recruitment and use of children soldiers are the types of ways children can become involved. It’s important to be on the lookout for signs that someone may be experiencing in this situation. Signs to Look Out for It’s believed that human traf...

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Child Abuse: Know the Warning Signs & Make a Difference

Posted by Emily Pazel

Every child deserves a warm bed and the unconditional love and support of a family. Unfortunately, that isn’t the scenario for many children. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 4 adults have been physically abused as a child. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a month dedicated to bringing awareness about and sharing ways to prevent child abuse, according to a national proclamation that was released by President Donald Trump in March. Child abuse is a worldwide problem with serious, life-long consequences. By definition, child maltreatment is the abuse and neglect that occurs to children under 18 years of age. Child abuse is defined by a vast spectrum of abuse that included physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence, and commercial or other exploitation, which results in the harm of the child’s life. Worldwide Statistics Although current estimates vary widely depending on the country a...

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New Research Shows Child Abuse Deaths Rise

Posted by Katrina Poggio

Child abuse fatalities are rising, especially in Texas and Indiana, according to recent reports. The United States Department of Health and Human Services released a Child Maltreatment 2016 report in early February 2018. The report, which covers the 2016 fiscal year, shows a 7 percent increase in child deaths related to abuse when compared to 2015. The 49 states that participated reported 1,700 fatalities as a result of child maltreatment. In 2015, there were 1,589 fatalities reported, according to a news release. “Helping state child welfare agencies prevent and address child abuse and neglect is one of our top priorities this year,” said Steven Wagner, acting assistant secretary for children and families at ACF, in a news release. “Collaborating with state child protective services helps us collect case-level data to better understand what’s occurring in a home when a child is neglected or abused.” Of the total 3.5 million children who were t...

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Commission Found U.S. Needs Policy to Reduce Child Abuse Related Deaths

Posted by Kristal Roberts

When it comes to child abuse, a Congress-spurred commission found that the United States didn't have coherent, effective strategies for reducing the high number of children who die each year from abuse and neglect. The official federal data states these deaths fall between 1,500 to 1,600 annually in recent years, but with the gaps in how the data is complied, the true number may be as much as 3,000 a year. Commission chairman David Sanders, who is the executive vice president of Casey Family Programs, believes that number can be reduced to zero. "We looked at the airline industry — no one accepts a plane crash anymore. We can get that way with child fatalities," he said. The report's recommendations for addressing the issue include expanding safe-haven programs for abandoned infants and enlisting a broader range of community organizations to help often-overburdened child protection service workers. Still, the commission, comprised of s...

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Spotting the Signs of Child Abuse

Posted by Kristal Roberts

Photo courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt/Flickr.com

Child abuse is a horrible crime that is surprisingly common---more than 3 million child abuse reports are made in the United States each year. It's suspected that many more go unreported. Often times, the only chance children may have of escaping abuse involves an adult intervention. This can come from a family friend, a teacher, or a health professional, anyone. All that matters is that you can recognize the symptoms, and use your voice to speak on behalf of a possible victim. Things You May Notice from a Child Abuse Victim If a child is being physically abused, they may exhibit unexplained bruises and welts on the body. The injury may have a pattern that looks like a hand or a belt. If you’re a medical professional trying to examine a child, they might shy away from being touched. They may also express fear about going home. He or she may be on edge or “alert”, expecting some type of punishment or something bad to happen. They may wear long sleev...

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Childhood Abuse Has Long-term Health Effects

Posted by Norlyn Golez

Photo by: Lance Neilson (Flickr)

The neglect and abuse of children have a lasting effect on their health, according to a new study. Children who are wrongly treated may develop long-term hormone issues that increase the possibility of diabetes, obesity and other health issues well into adulthood. A study was conducted with 95 adults, who are 35 to 65 years of age, who were victims of childhood abuse and neglect emotionally, physically, and sexually. Their weight-regulating hormones were monitored. During the study, the subjects were classified into groups depending on the level of suffering that they endured. The study was focused on examining leptin, which regulates the appetite and fat levels, adinopectin, which relieves inflammation, and irisin, which is responsible for energy metabolism. The most severely abused and neglected children showed more irisin and leptin but lesser adinopectin. All these hormone irregularities may lead to obesity. After taking into account the differences brought about by ...

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