MUSCATINE, Iowa — The rate of child abuse and neglect continues to climb in Muscatine County. Iowa Kids Count reports released this year show a 31 percent increase in reported cases of child abuse and neglect from 2000-06. That percentage has Muscatine ranked fourth in the state for the number of abuse cases — 331 cases were confirmed in 2006.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a rise in incidents,” said Laura Kopp, director of children’s trauma services for Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center. “Within the last 10 years there’s probably been more of a focus on protection and the effects of trauma. The more people become aware of options and their obligation for reporting, along with increased knowledge and increased access to protection, we’re going to see those numbers go up.”

Kopp, who works with abused children at Muscatine’s child protection center, said the numbers still show a negative image of what is going on in Muscatine. She believes that child abuse stems from a combination of factors including Muscatine’s high incidence of domestic violence and substance abuse.

“Substance abuse in general often leads to neglect,” she said.

Rachel Riley-Smock, program supervisor for Musca-tine’s Sexual Assault/Domestic Abuse Advocacy Program, said in the past two years that the number of women and children at the shelter has increased by 10-15 percent and continues to grow. She is a mandatory reporter of child abuse and said there is a definite connection with child abuse and domestic violence. A mandatory reporter is a person who is required by state law to report abuse or neglet as they come across it in thier careers.

“We are one of the higher counties in the state for instances of domestic abuse,” Riley-Smock said.

There are 28 victim service projects in Iowa like the Advocacy Program. Muscatine ranks ninth out of the 28 for the number of victims served.

Ardyth Orr, commander of the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, said she believes substance abuse is definitely an issue in Muscatine. Arrests for drug possession and alcohol related charges are common in this county. But, she said, it appears that no data has been assembled to assess if Muscatine is in fact one of the largest violators for substance abuse in the state.

Officials at New Horizons, Muscatine’s outpatient drug rehabilitation center’s program director was unavailable for comment.

The Iowa Kids Count Initiative is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore, Md. It annually updates and disseminates national, statewide and county-level trend data on key indicators of well-being for Iowa children, ranging from health to education to welfare. Iowa has always done particularly well in comparison to other states, ranking in the top 10 in the nation. But when Iowa is compared to itself from 2000-06, the results are mixed according to Iowa Kids Count data.

Child abuse and neglect can range from allowing a kid to be outside in cold weather without a coat to sexual or severe physical abuse.

Muscatine County ranks sixth in the state for denial of critical care (commonly called neglect), according to information collected from the Iowa Department of Human Services and broken down by Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, which researches child abuse and ways to prevent it. As part of this research, information is published on trends in Iowa child abuse, with a focus on county-specific information. The most recent data available for either group is 2006.

Prevent Child Abuse Iowa data also indicates that Musca-tine ranks eighth for the highest number of confirmed physical injuries and 45th in the state for the confirmed number of child sexual abuse cases.

Officials say that though numbers haven’t been determined that prove substance abuse plays an active role in Muscatine’s high number of child abuse reports, that many of the children seen at the Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center are coming from families with drug and alcohol problems.

By the numbers

The following child abuse information was reported by Iowa Department of Human Services for 2006:

- Most child abuse in Iowa involved the denial of critical care, commonly called neglect.

- 15,798 confirmed cases of denial of critical care were reported in Iowa — 77.3 percent of all child abuse. Of those cases, 425 were reported from Muscatine County.

- 2,037 cases of physical injury were reported in Iowa, 34 of which were founded in Muscatine County.

- 839 cases of sexual abuse were founded in the state — the lowest number founded in more than 20 years — 7 of those were in Muscatine County.

Warning signs

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Recognize the warning signs of abuse:

- Nervousness around adults

- Aggression toward adults or other children

- Inability to stay awake or to concentrate for extended periods

- Sudden, dramatic changes in personality or activities

- Unnatural interest in sex

- Frequent or unexplained bruises or injuries

- Low self-esteem

- Poor hygiene

Help

To find out more about local assistance programs for child-abuse and domestic-abuse victims or to report child abuse:

- Department of Human Services,

563-263-9302.

- Muscatine Sexual Assault/Domestic Abuse Advocacy Program and shelter services,

563-263-0067.

- Muscatine Police Department, 563-263-9922 or 911 in an emergency situation