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Is Violence Toward Children Increasing?

A Comparison of 1975 and 1985 National Survey Rates

University of Rhode Island

MURRAY A. STRAUS

University of New Hampshire

This article compares the rate of violence toward children from a 1975 study with the rates from a 1985 replication. Both studies used nationally representative samples (1,146 families in 1975 and 1,428 in 1985), and both found extremely high incidence of severe violence against children. However, 1985 rates, although high, were substantially lower than 1975 rates; the rate of severe violence weas 47% lower in 1985. Possible reasons for the lower rates in 1985 are examined and evaluated, including (a) increased reluctance to report; (b) differences in the method of study; (c) reductions due to ten years of prevention and treatment efforts; and (d) reductions due to changes in American society and family patterns that would have produced lower rates of violence toward children even without ameliorative programs.

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