Child Abuse Registry in Georgia: three years of experience

The number of reported cases of physical child abuse in Georgia from July 1975 to June 1978 increased. Of 4,292 cases reported, 57% were confirmed. School officials most often reported cases of suspected abuse; 69% were confirmed by social work investigation. Metropolitan black female children had the highest residence/race/sex-specific abuse rates. The highest abuse rate for boys was for the 0- to 3-year-old group, while for girls the highest abuse rates were for the 13- to 16-year-old group. Both natural parents were present in 39% of the confirmed cases, and a natural parent was the abuser in 62% of the cases. Of the natural mothers who were confirmed abusers, 53% had been pregnant as teen-agers. Thirty-eight children died after being abused, with the highest death-case ratio being 62 per 1,000 abused children for black girls aged 0 to 4 years.