Child sexual abuse reports fall

A study finds the number of child sexual abuse reports in Iowa has dropped sharply to its lowest level in almost two decades. Steve Scott, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, says the decline signals some success in the state’s efforts to prevent that type of child abuse.The highest peak in Iowa was in 1993 with nearly 15-hundred children sexually abused. The numbers for the year 2000 are well below one thousand — at 927. He says the numbers have fallen steadily for seven years. Scott says there was initially concern that the numbers reflected only a drop in the number of reports, not in the number of abused children.Scott believes the numbers are accurate — and that child sex abuse cases are truly falling in Iowa. He says one reason is that he says there’s no reason to believe that people are less aware or less inclined to report abuse.For more information, surf to “www.pcaiowa.org” or call 515-244-2200.