RRRRRRRRRR MATEY!!

Last night, the Child and Family Support Center held it's annual Blue Ribbon Bennifet Dinner and Auction. And my family has gone every year for 3 years because my mom is Chairman of the Volunteer services. We love going to this event because we love to help out and it is also alot of fun! This year's Theme was Pirates of the Carribean! It was alot of fun, and it was awesome to see all the people willing to donate and support the CFSC. Here are a few facts about Child Abuse, and the things we don't know that are really happening. Especially in Cache Valley.

• Utah is the 8th highest state in substantiated cases of child abuse, with 18.3 per 1,000 children, compared to the national average of 11.9 children per 1,000.
  
• Each day in the U.S., more than 4 children die as a result of child abuse in the home.
  
• More than three-quarters (78.7 per cent) of the children who die are younger than four years of age.


• Of these fatalities, 89 percent were under the age of eight; 43.6 percent were under the age of one.


• The rate of infant homicide reached a 30-year high in 2000.
  
• Research studies of infant death data drawn from multiple agency records (e.g. police or social services) indicate that the actual rate of infant deaths attributed to substantiated abuse or neglect of infants and children up to four years of age is more than twice as high as the official rates reported in death certificate data.


• Homicide is the leading cause of injury deaths among infants under one year of age in the U.S. Nearly one-half of substantiated cases of child neglect and abuse are associated with parental alcohol or drug use.


• It is estimated that one in every four children in the United States (28 million) are living in a household with an alcoholic adult.
  
• Convicted rape and sexual assault offenders serving time in state prisons report that two-thirds of their victims were under the age of 18.


• One of every seven victims of sexual assault reported to law enforcement agencies were under the age of six.
  
• Among rape victims less than 12 years of age, 90% of the children knew the offender, according to police-recorded incident data.
  
• Frequently, the person who sexually molests a child is also a child.
  The actual incidence of abuse and neglect is estimated to be three times greater than the number reported to authorities.
• Child abuse is reported approximately every 10 seconds.
  

This information is off the the Child and Family Support Center's Web page. For more information, the website is http://www.cachecfsc.org/.

Now here are some fun pictures of the dinner and auction!