Each year in the United States, close to one million children are confirmed victims of child maltreatment.

Annually, the United States spends:

* $103.8 billion in response to child abuse.

* More than $33.1 billion on the direct effects of child abuse.

* More than $70.7 billion in treating all the long-term, indirect effects of child abuse, such as special education, mental and physical healthcare, and adult criminality.

Long-term effects:

* Costs associated with the lost productivity to society from adult survivors of child abuse are estimated at $33 billion annually.

* Estimated 13% of all adult violence can be linked to earlier child maltreatment.

* Responding to adults who, because of earlier abuse become involved in criminal activity, costs over $27.9 billion annually.

The national average is $7 saved by every dollar spent on prevention.

The cost of child abuse – whether defined in term of tax dollars or human suffering, highlights a clear need for society to give priority to child abuse prevention efforts.