Taking a stand to protect children

National observance draws attention to dangers of abuse, neglect

It's estimated that approximately 683,000 children in the United States are the victims of abuse and neglect. While 75 percent of these cases involve actual neglect, the US Department of Health and Human Services reported that the remaining 25 percent of cases deal with physical and sexual abuse.

When left unchecked, these cases contribute to hundreds of deaths among children in this country. In fiscal year 2015 alone an estimated 1,670 children died as a result of maltreatment with nearly half of them dying from physical abuse, health and human services officials reported.