The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that the economic toll associated with child maltreatment is between $124 and $585 billion across the lifetime. Child maltreatment includes child physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and trauma, and neglect. The average lifetime cost of child maltreatment is estimated to be $830,928 per child. The overwhelming majority of child maltreatment is perpetrated at the hands of oneabusing caregiver in a family.
Additionally, represented safe protective caregivers in family court spend on average tens of thousands of dollars of their own money litigating custody seeking to protect their children from a known harm. Many safe caregivers cannot afford any legal representation and lose custody to an abusing caregiver with greater resources.
Family courts and child welfare agencies are well-situated to identify and effectively curb child abuse early, when it first comes to light and one parent seeks to protect, but for now these entities are not functioning to this potential. While these entities are tasked with protecting children’s best interest, too often in practice they currently fail to prioritize children rights and safety over other interests, such as shared parenting, in their decision-making processes.
To thrive, every child needs at least onesafe, loving caregiver and to be protected from contact with any unsafe caregiver. Children are uniquely vulnerable; they cannot protect themselves from a dangerous person who is more developed, larger in stature and more sophisticated.
Special victims: child abuse and the courts
When abuse or danger is alleged, child safety must come before all other considerations when making custody and visitation determinations, no matter the age of the child. Children ages 0-3 are most vulnerable to abuse and neglect from an unsafe caregiver.
When crimes are perpetrated against a child, our criminal justice system names them “special victims” exactly because children are uniquely vulnerable in relation to adults. This approach and understanding must also be applied in our family courts, even when parental rights are at play. Children are human beings, not property of anyone. They deserve safety first and foremost.
