The original statment that was questioned is:  "The fact IS, 90% of claims that come in on the Child Abuse Hotline are FALSE."  This is slightly off.  According to the data collected by the feds, the correct number is more like 81%, or 4 out of 5.

I can see how the 90% was arrived at, but disagree with the representation of the numbers.  To say that 90% of all child abuse allegations are false is not quite correct.  This is because allegations of neglect are also included in what is considered "child abuse" allegations.  If one does not use the terms and numbers accurately, things get distorted.

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/cm98/cpt3.htm

"Of 1,820,608 report dispositions in 51 States, 532,063 (29.2%) were "substantiated" or "indicated." (See figure 3-2.) Nearly twice as many reports (57.2%) were found to be "unsubstantiated," and more than a tenth (13.6%) received other dispositions. Thus, of all referrals that came to the attention of CPS agencies, approximately two-thirds (64.9%) were investigated during the reporting period, and slightly fewer than one-fifth (19.0%) of all referrals ultimately resulted in a "substantiated" or "indicated" finding of maltreatment."

64.9% investigated (screened in.)  35.1% not investigated (screened out.) 57.2% of the 64.9% screened in, or 37.1% of all reports were "unsubstantiated".  Adding that 37.1% figure of "unsubstantiated" reports to the 35.1% not investigated (screened out) and the 13.6% of the 64.9% (screened in) reports, or 8.8% of total reports,  that received "other dispositions", one arrives at 81% of all reports that were not substantiated for "child abuse", no matter the specific kind of abuse.

Now one has to look at the types of abuse.  We can get an idea of this in the same report linked above from this page: 

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/cm98/cpt4.htm

"4.2 Types of Maltreatment

In 1998, 53.5 percent of victims suffered neglect, and an additional 2.4 percent were medically neglected; 22.7 percent were physically abused; 11.5 percent were sexually abused; and 6.0 percent were emotionally maltreated. In addition, a quarter (25.3 percent) of all victims were reported to be victims of other or additional types of maltreatment, including "abandonment," "threats of harm to the child," and "congenital drug addiction." (The percentages total more than 100 percent because children may have been victims of more than one type of maltreatment.) Figure 4-3 presents these findings in terms of rates of types of maltreatment for 1990 and 1998. Three types of maltreatment have declined: physical abuse, 3.5 to 2.9 children per thousand; sexual abuse, 2.3 to 1.6 children per thousand; and psychological abuse, 0.8 to 0.6 children per thousand. The rate of neglect has increased from 6.3 to 7.2 children per thousand in the population of reporting States."

The numbers add up badly because of duplicative findings of abuse or neglect:  53.5% neglect; 2.4% medical neglect; 22.7% physically abused; 11.5% sexually abused; 6.0% emotionally maltreated; and 25.3% other forms of abuse; for a total of 121.4%.  This makes for some difficult calculations on how many children suffer a particular kind of abuse or neglect, and poses a problem for getting a good picture of the situation.  What we have to realize here is that these percentages are describing "findings", not individual "cases" or specific reports "reports".  As we all know, one "case" or "report" can generate multiple findings.

One way to deal with the problem is to look at the percentages for the specific categories as a percentage of the total.  The total 121.4% represents all of the findings in all of the cases.  53.5% specifically neglect findings represent 44.1% of all the findings.  2.4% specifically medical neglect findings represent 2.0% of all the findings.  22.7% specifically physical abuse findings represent 18.7% of all the findings.  11.5% specifically sexual abuse findings represent 9.5% of all the cases.  6.0% specificially emotional maltreatment findings represent 4.9% of all the findings.  25.3% other forms of abuse findings represent 20.8% of all the findings.  Now our totals add up to:  44.1% + 2.0% + 18.7% + 9.5% + 4.9% + 20.8% = 100%.

So here is what we can say based on the numbers represented.

81% (or 4 out of 5) of all **reports** are false, that is, do not end up being "substantiated".  The definition of "false report" needs to be explained.  It does not mean that 81% of all reports are maliciously or intentionally false, although that category falls within the category of false report.  It means that 81% of all reports simply are not reports of situtaions in which child abuse (including neglect and all other categories) is not truly occurring.

Physical abuse, at 18.7% of the findings, sexual abuse at 9.5%, and emotional abuse at 4.9% of the findings, account for 33.1%, or roughly 1/3, of all findings among the 19% of cases "substantiated" for some form of abuse and/or neglect. 

Medical neglect, at 2%, and physical neglect, at 44.1%, of the findings account for just under 1/2 of all findings in the 19% of cases "substantiated" for some form of abuse and/or neglect.

Other forms of child maltreatment, including abandonment, pre-natal drug exposure, and threat of harm, account for roughly 1/5 of all findings in the 19% of cases "substantiated" for some of abuse and/or neglect.

This way we are saying how the apples (findings) compare to apples (findings) in the percentage of oranges (reports) that are substantiated.  To try to factor the findings across the substantiated cases directly is comparing apples to oranges, and gives inaccurate information.

What we cannot say is that 33.1% of the 19%, or 6.3%, of substantiated reports are substantiated for physical, sexual abuse or emotional abuse, because the duplicative findings in some cases make this statement inaccurate.  To state that conversely, we cannot say that 93.7% of all child abuse reports are unfounded, because the general term "child abuse" includes neglect, abandonment, and threat of harm situations as well as situations involving physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.  Saying either of these two statements, does not take into account the neglect cases that are indicated, and is not accurate.

The best we can say is that 81% of all child abuse reports are false, and that among the 19% of all reports that are "substantiated", some form of abuse accounts for 1/3 of the findings, some form of neglect accounts for just under half of the findings, and some other form of child maltreatment accounts for 1/5 of the findings.

Eric von Kleist
Spartanburg, South Carolina

> The best we can say is that 81% of all child abuse reports are false, and that among the 19% of all reports that are "substantiated", some form of abuse accounts for 1/3 of the findings, some form of neglect accounts for just under half of the findings, and some other form of child maltreatment accounts for 1/5 of the findings.

Let me rephrase that, since it is not complete and disregards an important fact that Leonard brought up.

81%, or 4 out of 5, of all child abuse reports are known to be false. Less than 1 in 5 reports of child abuse are "substantiated" as being true by an administrative decision or court action.  There are serious doubts about the validity of a large number of the administrative findings of child abuse and neglect.  These doubts center upon the dubious quality of the investigative work undertaken by CPS investigators.  There are relatively few figures available regarding the number of "substantiated" findings that are overturned following either administrative or judicial review.

We do not have an epidemic of child abuse in the United States, but we do have an epidemic of false reporting that is harmful to families who are needlessly exposed to the universally inadequate and incompetent efforts of the CPS agencies throughout the country. 

Eric von Kleist
Spartanburg, South Carolina