Statistics on Child Abuse - The Statistics and People You Need To Know For Your Healing

by Adam Appleson

You can find tons of bleak statistics on child abuse all over the Internet. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) reported a rate of 2.04 children per 100,000 children who died from abuse or neglect in 2006.

One statistic from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) estimates more than 2 million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported each year in the United States. Another JAMA statistic estimates 150,000 to 200,000 new cases of sexual abuse occur each year in the United States alone.

What is hard to find are stories and statistics about overcoming the odds. Who has healed from the wounds of child abuse and gone on to live happy and fulfilling lives? Is it possible to live an extraordinary life after enduring tremendous hardship? The answer is yes, and here are some inspiring facts and people that prove it.

A Hopeful Look at the Statistics on Child Abuse

There was a study of 400 famous people undertaken by psychologists Victor and Mildred Goertzel in the 1960s. They tried to see if there was a common psychological pattern that could be found in the lives of "eminent" individuals.

What kind of homes did they grow up in? What challenges did they face on their way to achieving phenomenal success?

The Goertzels found that of the 400 studied, only a paltry 58 of them came from trouble-free homes. Three-quarters of the so-called successes came from challenging conditions such as a broken home, poverty, abusive and/or dominating parental figures, financial instability, and other non-abusive factors.

Over 25% of the 400 overcame a handicap such as blindness (think Helen Keller), deafness, and/or other physical handicaps which drove them to succeed.

By an objective measure, it's fair to say a majority of these eminent individuals had to overcome hardships in order to get where they were, and these included hardships such as child abuse and a broken home.

Meet the Living Proof

The Motivational Speaker:

He's written New York Times bestselling books such as "10 Secrets For Success and Inner Peace", "The Power of Intention", "Inspiration", and "Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life".

So it may surprise you to learn this man spent a part of his childhood in orphanages and foster homes because his single mother couldn't afford to keep the family together.

In addition, his father was an abusive alcoholic who cheated on his mother. But from these tough conditions he learned to make a successful life himself. He now resides in Hawaii with his wife and children.

He has been called the "father of motivation" as he truly is an inspiring figure (he was not in the Goertzel study). This famous person is Dr. Wayne Dyer, and he truly made the most of his challenging past.

The Billionaire:

She is one of the richest African-American woman of the 20th century and an Academy Award nominated actress. Unfortunately, she was sexually abused by a relative as a little girl. On top of this, she was also a victim of racial prejudice while growing up in the rural South and came from a broken home.

When she was a little girl, she was so poor she wore dresses made of potato sacks and the other children made fun of her. This famous person is Oprah Winfrey, and she is a shining testament to how people can overcome their obstacles in life.

Now you might say that the only reason Oprah and Wayne were so successful is because of their innate talent. But the Goertzel study shows there is one factor that Oprah, Wayne, and the rest of the 400 all had in common which led to their success, and it has nothing to do with talent.

The good news is if you don't have it, you can develop it too. You can give yourself the trait that all the successful people in the Goertzel study had which led to their eventual victory.



All you have to do is learn to cultivate persistence in the face of all obstacles as you work towards your goal.



Adam Appleson has actively applied self improvement techniques over the past decade to climb psychological mountains and achieve big dreams. He started ZenTactics.com, the practical personal development website for survivors of abusive and dysfunctional families.



You can read more psychology and mental health articles at ZenTactics.com. Each article is written to help you understand the issues you face as an abuse survivor and how to experience personal growth and recovery.