Statisticabout Children’s Welfare in U.S.

Here are the statistics I referred to in my January newsletter that reflect the emotional-social welfare of children in the United States. These are from the web site of the Children’s Defense Fund, founded by Marian Wright Edelman. As you review them, look for the interaction of all these statistics together and what they say about the emotional wholeness of children and the factors that affect it.

Moments in America for Children
May 2007
·    Every second a public school student is suspended.*
·    Every 11 seconds a high school student drops out.*
·    Every 15 seconds a public school student is corporally punished.*
·    Every 20 seconds a child is arrested.
·    Every 22 seconds a baby is born to an unmarried mother.
·    Every 35 seconds a baby is born to a mother who is not a high school graduate.
·    Every 36 seconds a baby is born into poverty.
·    Every 36 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected.
·    Every 47 seconds a baby is born without health insurance.
·    Every minute a baby is born to a teen mother.
·    Every 2 minutes a baby is born at low birthweight.
·    Every 4 minutes a child is arrested for drug abuse.
·    Every 8 minutes a child is arrested for violent crimes.
·    Every 19 minutes a baby dies before his first birthday.
·    Every 3 hours a child or teen is killed by a firearm.
·    Every 4 hours a child or teen commits suicide.
·    Every 6 hours a child is killed by abuse or neglect.
·    Every 18 hours a mother dies in childbirth.

Each Day in America
May 2007
·    1 mother dies in childbirth.
·    4 children are killed by abuse or neglect.
·    5 children or teens commit suicide.
·    8 children or teens are killed by firearms.
·    33 children or teens die from accidents.
·    77 babies die before their first birthdays.
·    192 children are arrested for violent crimes.
·    383 children are arrested for drug abuse.
·    906 babies are born at low birthweight.
·    1,153 babies are born to teen mothers.
·    1,672 public school students are corporally punished.*
·    1,839 babies are born without health insurance.
·    2,261 high school students drop out.*
·    2,383 children are confirmed as abused or neglected.
·    2,411 babies are born into poverty.
·    2,494 babies are born to mothers who are not high school graduates.
·    4,017 babies are born to unmarried mothers.
·    4,302 children are arrested.
·    17,132 public school students are suspended.*