The number of child abuse "care and protection" cases in Massachusetts has more than doubled over the last decade, reports the state's Commissioner of Probation.
A press release from the state court system says the dramatic increase
in abuse cases is due to "mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic
violence."
Some probation officers attribute the rise to increased awareness, leading to increased reporting.
Thomas Mitchell, Chief Probation Officer of Norfolk County Juvenile
Court, finds that nearly 70% of his care and protection cases come back
into the system multiple times and often return as adult cases.
Acting Chief Probation Officer at Franklin/Hampshire Juvenile Court,
Peter Kotch, agrees. "This court began in 1996 and we are now seeing
our second generation of these families involved in this type of case."
County by county, the increase ranges from 4.8% to 133%.
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The PROTECT Lobby
Our Mission
The National Association to Protect Children is a national, pro-child, anti-crime membership association. We are founded on the belief that our first and most sacred obligation as parents, citizens, and members of the human species is the protection of children from harm.
PROTECT is a bipartisan pro-child, anti-crime lobby whose sole focus is making the protection of children a top political and policy priority at the national, state and local level.
