Those statistics are very scary and awful to ponder. Since you have an interest in statistics, more common though equally tragic and totally needless, are the statistics on drowning--in particular w/in the state of Florida where so many have backyard pools. Comparatively speaking, relative to filicide, the staggering statistics make this possibility infinitely more likely. JMO
*Of all preschoolers who drown, 75 percent are missing from sight for five minutes or less.
*Among children ages 1 to 4 years, most drownings occur in residential swimming pools. More than 85 percent of drowning among children ages 1 to 4 are pool related. Most young children who drowned in pools were in the care of one or both parents at the time.
*Barriers such as pool fencing, can help prevent children from gaining access to the pool area w/out caregivers’ awareness. Install a four-sided isolation fence that completely separates house and play area of the yard from the pool area. The fence should be at least 4 feet high. Use self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward w latches that are out of reach of children. Also, consider additional barriers such as automatic door locks or alarms to prevent access or notify you if someone enters the pool area.
*The Association of Pool and Spa Professions (ASSP) recommends being aware of objects (ETA like tables, chairs, or containers) which could allow children to climb over barriers and reach the pool.
*Drowning is a "silent killer," swimming and child medical experts said. It's not at all like Hollywood dramatizations depicting floundering swimmers bobbing to the surface yelping for help for several minutes.
*"Kids slip in the water like a pebble going under," said Dr. Marty Eichelberger CEO of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. "As they try to get themselves out of the water, they sorta streamline their bodies making this linear form, and it takes them straight to the bottom. They only have a minute or two before they loose consciousness. ... It is a silent thing because they are under the water. They are trying to get themselves to the point where they can breathe, and as they breathe, they just suck in more water."
*The majority of children who survive (92%) are discovered w/in two minutes following submersion, and most children who die (86%) are found after 10 minutes. Nearly all who require CPR die or are left w severe brain injury. Nonfatal drownings can cause brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities including learning disabilities and permanent loss of basic functioning (permanent vegetative state).
*In 2005, of all children 1 to 4 years old who died, almost 30% died from drowning. Although drowning rates have slowly declined fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children.
How can you lock your child in a trunk and then walk off as he cries? Unbelievable!!
