Copyright 1998 Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, Inc. 420 NW 13th Street, Suite 101 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73103 Phone: 405-236-KIDS Fax: 405-236-KIDX

A short narrative on each of the eight state benchmark topics is available on this page. In addition, you can download pdf files for each of the topics. Each pdf file includes the narrative, listing of the ten counties with highest percentage of incident, a graphical chart comparing the benchmark among the races, and talking points. Narrative on Low Birthweight Infants pdf page (117K) on low birthweight infants Narrative on Infant Mortality pdf page (105K) on infant mortality Narrative on Births to Teens pdf page (95K) on birth to teens Narrative on Child Abuse and Neglect pdf file (133K) on child abuse and neglect Narrative on Child and Teen Death pdf file (107K) on child and teen death Narrative on Child Poverty pdf file (120K) on child poverty Narrative on High School Dropouts pdf file (106K) on high school dropouts Narrative on Juvenile Violent Crime Arrests pdf file (122K) on juvenile violent crime arrests On to County Benchmarks Low Birthweight Infants Each year more than thirty-one hundred Oklahoma babies (3,141 annual average) are born too small (weighing less than 5 pounds). A large proportion of these low-weight infants (2,610 annual average) are born very tiny (weighing less than 3 pounds, 5 ounces). During this past year the proportion of Oklahoma babies born too small slowly continued to worsen (increasing from 6.7% to 6.8%), with comparable rates also worsening in slightly under half (36 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties. A higher proportion of Oklahoma babies (6.8%) are born too small today as compared to the population born in the mid-1980s (6.5%), with such rates also worsening in the majority (43 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties during the same period. The highest low birthweight rate (10.2%) is found in Choctaw County; the lowest (2.4%) is in Major County. The low birthweight rate for Black infants (12.2%) nearly doubles the rate for White infants (6.2%). While early prenatal care is known to improve these rates, only about half (54.8%) of Oklahoma's babies were born to mothers who received the recommended level of prenatal care. Oklahoma's rate of low birthweight babies relative to other states slipped in ranking from 20th to 23rd during the most recent year (1994) measured. Back to Top of Page Infant Mortality Each year, four hundred Oklahoma babies (404 annual average) do not live to see their first birthday; instead they die from health problems, birth complications, birth defects, poverty, living conditions, injuries, inadequate care, infections, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and more. On the average, one Oklahoma infant dies every day. Although Oklahoma's rate of infants who die in their first year of life decreased slightly (8.8 to 8.7 deaths per 1,000 live births) during this past year, rates worsened in more than half (44 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties during the same period. Today, proportionately fewer Oklahoma babies (8.7 per 1,000) die in their first year of life than did in the mid-1980s (10.4 per 1,000), with such rates also improving in the large majority (57 of 77) of Oklahoma counties during the same period. The highest infant death rate (19.3 per 1,000) is found in Ellis County; the lowest (0.0 per 1,000) is in Major County. The death rate for African American infants (15.3 per 1,000) worsened during the most recent year and is almost twice as high as the rate for White infants (8.1 per 1,000). Oklahoma's infant mortality ranking relative to other states slipped from 33rd to 36th during the most recent year (1994) measured. Back to Top of Page Births to Teens In 1995, nearly three thousand (2,921) Oklahoma school- age girls (age 17 and under) had babies; one hundred fifty-eight Oklahoma mothers were only eleven, twelve, thirteen or fourteen years old. Rates of births to Oklahoma teens slightly declined (from 41.5 to 41.0 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 through 17) during the past year. The number of Oklahoma counties (38 of 77) where these birth rates improved during the year was just under the number of counties where teen birth rates worsened (39 of 77). While slow progress (41.0 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 through 17) has been made in decreasing the high Oklahoma teen birth rates of the early 1980s (42.2 per 1,000); comparable rates in the counties improved in most (51 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties during the same period of time. The highest teen birth rate (64.9 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 through 17) is found in Tillman County; the lowest (9.1 per 1,000) is in Grant County. Two-thirds (67.3%) of these Oklahoma teen mothers are White. On the average, every three hours an Oklahoma child (age 17 or younger) becomes a mother. Oklahoma's teen childbearing ranking relative to other states has worsened over the last decade, with two-thirds (33 states) having a teen (age 15 through 17) birth rate lower than Oklahoma during the most recent year (1995) measured. Back to Top of Page Child Abuse and Neglect Abuse and neglect allegations reported to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) during Fiscal Year 1996 climbed to almost forty-five thousand (44,879). DHS again this year investigated and confirmed a near-record high number of the allegations. Close to twelve thousand (11,646) of the more than forty thousand (40,916) incidents investigated were found to be actual abuse and/or neglect. In Oklahoma, approximately every forty-five minutes a child is a victim of confirmed abuse or neglect. During this past year the proportion of Oklahoma child abuse and/or neglect actually confirmed remained fairly level at a near-record high (moving from 13.5 to 13.4 per 1,000 children in the community), with comparable rates worsening in the majority (40 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties. A much higher proportion (13.4 per 1,000) of children are confirmed to be child abuse and/or neglect victims than were confirmed in the mid-1980s (8.5 per 1,000), with such rates also worsening in the vast majority (52 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties during the same period. The highest proportion of the children confirmed to be victims of child abuse and/or neglect (43.2 per 1,000) is found in Garvin County; the lowest (0.9 per 1,000) is in Ellis County. A total of twenty-nine children died from child abuse and/or neglect in FY 1996. Among the dead were seventeen girls and twelve boys of all races ranging in age from a newborn to fifteen years old. While non-White children make up less than one-fourth (24.0%) of the child population, they make up almost one-third (31.0%) of the population of abused and neglected children. Back to Top of Page Child and Teen Death About nine Oklahoma children die every week. More than fifty (50.8) of every 100,000 Oklahoma children and youth from the ages of 1 through 19 or just under five hundred (468) children, die each year. Just under half (48.7% or 228) of these annual child deaths are from the ages of 1 through 14; the remainder are teenagers (ages 15 through 19). Even though the rate of death among Oklahoma children from the ages of 1 through 14 worsened slightly (from 33.0 to 33.2 per 100,000) this past year, rates stayed the same or improved in most (50 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties during the same period. Currently proportionately fewer (33.2 per 100,000) children from the ages of 1 through 14 die than died in the early 1980s (45.1 per 100,000), with such rates also improving in the majority (52 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties during the same period. The worst rate of death for children from the ages of 1 through 14 (89.6 per 100,000) is found in Cotton County; the best (0.0 per 100,000) is in two Oklahoma counties (Dewey and Greer). Overall, Oklahoma children and teens are more likely to die of accidents (49.0%) than to die of diseases (31.0%) or violence (20.0%). Violence among teens from the ages of 15 through 19 is common with more than one-fourth (27.8%) of all teen deaths resulting from violence. An African American teen is nearly three times as likely to die of violence (61.3% of all African American teen deaths) in Oklahoma than his or her White peers (23.4% of all White teen deaths). An average of 38 Oklahomans under age 20 commit suicide each year, most of whom are older White adolescents. Even with the improvement in death rates since the 1980s, Oklahoma's ranking relative to other states for the most recent year on record (1994) are among the worst (36th in child death; 40th in teen death) in the nation. Back to Top of Page Child Poverty During the most recent year on record (1993), nearly two hundred thousand (195,915) Oklahoma children lived in poverty. One out of every four Oklahoma children lives in poverty. Oklahoma's youngest are Oklahoma's poorest with more than sixty-one thousand (61,060) infants, toddlers and preschoolers living in poverty. During the most recent year on record (1993), Oklahoma children were poorer (23.7%) than the general population (18.4%). During the past three years, the proportion of Oklahoma children living in poverty worsened from 21.7% (1990) to 23.7% (1993), with comparable rates also worsening in the majority (48 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties. Oklahoma child poverty has skyrocketed (from 15.7% to 23.7%) since 1980. Every day since 1980, another dozen (average 13.5) children joined those who were already poor. The worst child poverty rate (52.8%) is found in Harmon County; the best (10.4%) is in Beaver County. In Fiscal Year 1996, more than seventy-eight thousand (78,021) Oklahoma children, nine percent (9.0%) of the child population, had to depend on Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), now Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), for basic needs. African American children, American Indian children and children of Hispanic origin are more than twice as likely to be poor than White children. Back to Top of Page High School Dropouts During the most recent year on record (school year 1995-96), almost eleven thousand (10,812) young Oklahomans quit school without graduating . . . nearly ten thousand (9,962) were still children (ages 18 or younger). About two of every ten students in Oklahoma who start high school as freshmen do not earn a high school diploma. Most drop out of school in the tenth grade. Even though the rate of children (under age 19) dropping out of high school (grades 9 through 12) improved slightly for the state (from 5.5% to 5.3%) during this past year, rates worsened in more than half (41 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties during the same period. The worst dropout rate (8.6%) is found in Cotton County; the best (0.0%) is in Dewey County. During this past year, the proportion of girls failing to finish high school decreased slightly (from 46.2% to 44.7% of all dropouts) as the proportion of boys increased (53.8% to 55.3% of all dropouts). While non-White children make up less than one-fourth (24.0%) of the child population, they make up more than one-third (36.0%) of all dropouts. Back to Top of Page Juvenile Violent Crime Arrests In 1996, nearly thirteen hundred (1,296) Oklahoma youths from the ages of 10 through 17 were arrested for violent crimes. Twenty-nine were arrested for murder, three for manslaughter, 70 for forcible rape, 376 for robbery and 818 for aggravated assault. Most of those arrested were male (1,079 or 83.3%). During this past year the proportion of Oklahoma youths from the ages of 10 through 17 arrested for violent crimes began to improve from last year's record high (from 393.2 to 341.5 per 100,000), with comparable rates also improving in a few more (35 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties than those that worsened (31 of 77) during the same period. This year's juvenile violent crime arrest rates (341.5 per 100,000) still nearly double those of 1980 (172.4 per 100,000), with such rates also worsening in a majority (50 of 77) of Oklahoma's counties during the same period. The highest proportion of youths from the ages of 10 through 17 (1,166.7 per 100,000) arrested for violent crimes is found in Greer County; the lowest (0.0 per 100,000) is in fourteen Oklahoma counties (Atoka, Beaver, Cimarron, Coal, Delaware, Ellis, Grant, Harmon, Harper, Major, Marshall, Noble, Nowata and Woods). While non-White children make up less than one-fourth (24.0%) of the child population, they make up nearly half (48.7 %) of the violent crime arrests of children under age 18. Based on the latest figures available (1994), Oklahoma's rate (341.5 per 100,000) of arresting young people for violent crimes continues to remain well below the corresponding national rate of 517 arrests for every 100,000 youths from the ages of 10 through 17. Back to Top of Page

Web access launched March 24, 1998