The Arizona Children’s Justice Task Force is a federally mandated entity which meets quarterly to address policy and practice issues related to child abuse investigation and prosecution. Members represent law enforcement, child protective services, the legal community, mental health services and medical services.

April is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month.  Below are statistics that reveal what a large impact child abuse has on our community and communities across the nation:

• Three million reports of child abuse are made every year in the United States.
• Four children die every day as a result of child abuse, and three out of four of these victims are under the age of four.
• Child abuse occurs at every socio-economic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education
• 36.7 percent of women in prison and 14.4 percent of men in prison in the U.S. were abused as children.
• Children who have been sexually abused are 2.5 times more likely to abuse alcohol and 3.8 times more likely to become addicted to drugs.
• One third of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the cycle of abuse.

Click here to view the proclamation from Governor Napolitano declaring April, 2008 Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Staff Contact:
Christy Alonzo
(602) 364-2247
calonzo@az.gov