Child Abuse and Neglect in Denver

Each year in Colorado, more than 9,000 children are confirmed victims of abuse and neglect.

In Denver, over 1,300 children are confirmed victims of incest and another 500 are sexually assaulted by non-family members. In the majority of sexual abuse cases children know the person abusing them - it's generally a family member or a trusted neighbor - and the crime can be hidden for years.

More than 1,000 children live in homes where domestic violence is a way of life.

One out of three girls and one in every six boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday.

Sexual abuse and domestic violence know no social or economic boundaries. It happens in wealthy families and in poor families. The difference is that the children and families who come to DCAC have nowhere else to turn and no money to pay for treatment.

Half of the children we serve at DCAC are six years old or younger. Many of these children cannot talk at all, but they do respond to play, sand therapy, and the involvement of family members. We know that the earlier the abuse is acknowledged and treated, the better the chance that the child will make a prompt recovery. In addition to meeting the needs of children ages two through six, DCAC is also helping a growing number of families who speak only Spanish.

It is very, very expensive to treat these children but even more expensive not to. Without treatment, abused and traumatized children...

• suffer from severe anger and depression
• have difficulty forming healthy friendships
• are at increased risk for dropping out of school
• can become addicted to drugs and alcohol
• often turn to crime: 70 percent of young people in juvenile court have a history of abuse or neglect.
• frequently become violent and abusive themselves: being abused as a child increases the likelihood of arrest as an adult for a violent crime by 30 percent.

These children deserve a chance to reclaim their childhood. Every day at DCAC, we see young children who have suffered terrible harm learn to laugh and play again.