Child abuse reports increase

Although reports of child abuse and neglect decreased statewide last fiscal year, reports of abuse and neglect increased here in Alleghany, according to information released recently by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Statewide, 111,150 reports of abuse and/or neglect were made in fiscal year 2005-2006, which began July 1, 2005 and ended in June 30, 2006, as compared to 111,581 the year prior.

Here in Alleghany, 176 reports of child abuse and/or neglect were reported, up from 167 the year prior.

Of those 176 reports, Alleghany County Department of Social Services personnel actually investigated 139 cases.

Of the cases investigated, 73 were found to be unsubstantiated, while 66 were found to be actual cases of abuse or neglect. Of those cases, the majority (56 cases) involved neglected children, while five cases each involved abused children and children who were both abused and neglected. Meanwhile, following the investigations, 70 children were found to be in need of services, amounting to 39.8 percent of the cases, up from the 2004-2005 number of 52 children found to be in need of services (31.5 percent).

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