CHENANGO COUNTY – Today marks the start of Child Abuse Prevention Month and, in light of the widespread presence of child abuse in Chenango County, the Department of Social Services is reaching out to county officials to have an official proclamation announced later this month.

DSS disclosed that nearly 1,000 reports of child abuse were received in 2014, keeping in trend with a growing number of child abuse reports over the last several years. In terms of population, that figure raises a lot of red flags, explained Deputy DSS Commissioner Daniel Auwarter.

“Chenango County has a significant prevalence of it, unfortunately,” Auwarter said. “That’s a pretty significant population ... It’s a serious thing to bring attention to, and April is the time of the year when we try to make the community aware of what’s going on.”

Of the nearly 1,000 reports received, approximately 35 percent were validated by an investigation through DSS and other community partners, meaning that roughly 650 reports were received which could not be validated due to reasons that range from false reports to lack of information gathered during an investigation.

“When we look at the numbers, traditionally about a third of the reports in every county, not just Chenango County, are vindicated because there wasn’t enough credible evidence,” said Bette Osborne, DSS Commissioner. “About a third of the reports we get are bogus – from neighbors who might have a grudge against neighbors; but they are taken seriously and investigated to the same extent as any other ... Another third are instances where there might be something going on, but we can’t prove it.”

The number of child abuse cases in Chenango County saw an upward climb over the past 10 years. Past records from the Chenango County Child Advocacy Center show that from 2006-2011, reports of child abuse increased from 667 reports involving 994 kids in 2006, to nearly 900 reports involving 1,585 kids by 2011.