U.S. child abuse, neglect cost -- $124B

ATLANTA, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. child abuse -- including physical, sexual, psychological and neglect -- costs $124 billion a year, federal health officials estimated.

A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at confirmed child maltreatment cases -- 1,740 fatal and 579,000 non-fatal -- for a 12-month period. The lifetime cost for each victim of child maltreatment who lived was $210,012, the study found.

"No child should ever be the victim of abuse or neglect -- nor do they have to be. Human and financial costs can be prevented through prevention of child maltreatment," Linda C. Degutis, director of CDC′s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in a statement.

Child maltreatment has been shown to have many negative effects on survivors, including poorer health, social and emotional difficulties and decreased economic productivity.

The study found the negative effects during a survivor's lifetime generate many costs that affect the nation's healthcare, education, criminal justice and welfare systems.

The study, published in the Child Abuse and Neglect, The International Journal, found the estimated average lifetime cost per victim of non-fatal child maltreatment included:

-- $32,648 in childhood healthcare costs.

-- $10,530 in adult medical costs.

-- $144,360 in productivity losses.

-- $7,728 in child welfare costs.

-- $6,747 in criminal justice costs.

-- $7,999 in special education costs.