Fact Check: Abuse reportedly began in January 2023 and continued for over a year.

Fact Check: "Abuse reportedly began in January 2023 and continued for over a year."

What We Know

The claim that "abuse reportedly began in January 2023 and continued for over a year" lacks specific context and details regarding the type of abuse, the individuals involved, or the geographic location. However, the 2023 Child Maltreatment Report published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides national data on child abuse and neglect reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) during the fiscal year 2023. The report indicates that approximately 3.1 million children received a response from CPS, with 546,159 identified as victims of maltreatment. Notably, the report emphasizes that 64% of these cases involved neglect rather than abuse.

The report also highlights a decrease in child fatalities due to maltreatment, which fell from 2,050 in FY 2022 to 2,000 in FY 2023, suggesting a trend towards improved outcomes in child welfare (HHS and ACF).

Analysis

While the claim suggests a specific timeline for abuse starting in January 2023, the available data does not provide evidence to substantiate this timeline or the nature of the abuse. The Child Maltreatment 2023 report focuses on aggregate data and trends rather than individual cases or specific incidents.

The reliability of the sources used is high, as they are official reports from the HHS and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), which are responsible for collecting and analyzing data on child abuse and neglect. However, the lack of specific case studies or detailed narratives in these reports means that while they provide a broad overview, they do not address the individual claims of abuse starting in January 2023.

Moreover, the report indicates a broader trend of declining victimization rates, which may contradict the implication of ongoing abuse without intervention. The emphasis on neglect rather than abuse in the majority of cases also suggests that the context of "abuse" in the claim may need further clarification.

Conclusion

Needs Research. The claim that "abuse reportedly began in January 2023 and continued for over a year" is not substantiated by the available data from the 2023 Child Maltreatment Report. While the report provides valuable insights into child maltreatment trends, it does not offer specific evidence regarding the timeline or nature of the abuse mentioned in the claim. Further investigation into specific cases or additional context would be necessary to evaluate the accuracy of this assertion.

Sources

1. Child Maltreatment 2023
2. HHS and ACF Just Released The 2023 Child Maltreatment Report!
3. Child Maltreatment
4. Criminal Victimization, 2023 - Bureau of Justice Statistics
5. District Crime Data at a Glance | mpdc
6. Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and ...
7. U , 2023
8. Fiscal Year 2023: Immigration Applications and Petitions ...