Child abuse: an ugly picture

Picture 6,097 children.

Picture a crowd of girls and boys, enough to fill a coliseum.

Picture them laughing and playing.

Now, here’s the real picture:

Last year, 6,097 children in Tarrant County were victims of abuse or neglect.

That’s more than any other county in Texas.

Harris and Dallas counties have more people, yet both have slightly fewer child abuse cases than Tarrant County, according to a state report.

Now picture an Anglo boy or girl.

That’s the most common victim.

More are girls ages 1 to 3. Four in five cases involve a parent, more commonly a young mother.

Hispanic children are the least likely to be confirmed victims, but that number is growing.

Eleven boys or girls here died.

Some parents know they need help with stress, say officials from the Parenting Center of Fort Worth.

At 4 p.m. April 18, city officials will join a “Fort Worth Fight or Flight” event on Crockett Street in the West 7th shops to promote parenting education.

Picture more help for young parents and a safer, happier future for children.

This story was originally published April 3, 2015 at 8:38 PM with the headline "Child abuse: an ugly picture."