DETROIT — According to an annual Kids Count in Michigan report, over 32,500 children in the state were victims of abuse or neglect in 2010.
The rate rose by more than one-third in the state in the past decade, the report also stated.
Of Michigan's 83 counties, only seven saw a drop in their rates. The numbers paint an ugly picture of the situation for kids, and analysts are saying that continued economic problems and resulting stress could be a factor in the rates rising.
Increases in chronic health conditions such as asthma and obesity were also included as possible triggers, as well as the loss of prevention programs.
Overall, the percentage of kids living in families with incomes below the poverty level increased from 14 percent to 23 percent in the past decade.
The number of kids in extreme poverty also more than doubled in that same period.
The child death rate and high school dropout rates also dropped according to the report, providing some good news, and the team birth rate dropped by 21 percent from 2000-2009.
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