Breaking the Cycle of Child Abuse and Reducing Crime in Ohio: Home Visiting Can Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

Abuse and neglect increases crime: Nothing can fully prepare an officer or deputy to walk into a home where child abuse is taking place. The terrible experience of being involved in removing children from their homes is one reason why the law enforcement leaders who are members of Fight Crime: invest in Kids are so committed to preventing abuse or neglect before children are hurt. The federal government reports that over 35,000 Ohio children were victims of abuse or neglect in 2008 (almost 100 children per day), and 74 Ohio children died from abuse or neglect. The true numbers are much higher, primarily as a result of under-reporting.

The other major reason why law enforcement leaders want to see abuse and neglect prevented before it starts is that abuse and neglect contributes to future crime. While most of the victimized children never become violent criminals, research shows that an estimated 1,400 of Ohios victims of abuse and neglect in 2008 will become violent criminals as adults who otherwise would have avoided such crimes if not for the abuse and neglect they endured as children.

Home visiting can cut abuse and neglect and reduce future crime: Research on the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) voluntary home visiting program demonstrated that it worked. Abuse and neglect was cut in half, and the children not in the program, compared to those served, were more than twice as likely to be convicted of a crime by the time they are 19 years old. Home visiting can save far more than it costs, in large part because it so effectively cuts abuse and neglect and future crime. Help Me Grow, Ohios statewide early childhood initiative, provides funds to counties to run home visiting programs such as the Nurse-Family Partnership and Parents as Teachers. In the past year, Help Me Grow funding was cut in half from $75 million to $36 million.

Ensuring state and federal funding for home visiting: As law enforcement leaders, we urge state lawmakers to protect existing home visiting programs in these uncertain financial times. Preserving existing state efforts is also essential to ensure that Ohio can take advantage of new federal funding to increase the availability of proven home visiting programs. We know what works to reduce the abuse and neglect of Ohio children now and cut future crime later. And we know from personal experiences how important it is to make sure Ohio and the federal government work together to fund effective home visiting programs.