My 'Child Abuse in Utah' Letter that I Wrote and Sent Today to Utah State House Majority Leader Mike Schultz

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "John McMillan" <mcmillanj@att.net>

To: "Mike Schultz" <mikeschultz@le.utah.gov>, "Gay Lynn Bennion" <glbennion@le.utah.gov>, "Joel Briscoe" <jbriscoe@le.utah.gov>, "Jplumb" <jplumb@le.utah.gov>, "mballard@le.utah.gov" <mballard@le.utah.gov>, "Paul A. Cutler" <pcutler@le.utah.gov>, "Angela Romero" <angelaromero@le.utah.gov>, "Mark A. Strong" <mstrong@le.utah.gov>, "kcullimore@le.utah.gov" <kcullimore@le.utah.gov>, "Marsha Judkins" <mjudkins@le.utah.gov>, "marie.stewart" <marie.stewart@slcgov.com>, "chad.atkinson" <chad.atkinson@slcgov.com>, "Joel Briscoe" <jbriscoe@le.utah.gov>, "emcmillan@utah.gov" <emcmillan@utah.gov>, "mike.brown" <mike.brown@slcgov.com>, "Mike Weichers" <mweichers@ch.utah.gov>, "dcfs@utah.gov" <dcfs@utah.gov>, "utahdistrict02@gmail.com" <utahdistrict02@gmail.com>, "Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson 2021" <beckiepage@utah.gov>, "Office of Gov. Spencer Cox" <govcomm@utah.gov>, "communications@utahbar.org" <communications@utahbar.org>, "University of Utah Student Newspaper 2022" <press@chronicle.utah.edu>, "Fox News SLC 2022" <news@fox13now.com>, "Deseret News 2022" <dnweb@deseretnews.com>, "newsmedia@ldschurch.org" <newsmedia@ldschurch.org>, "Joe Dougherty (DHHS)" <joedougherty@utah.gov>, "Cameron Roden" <croden@utah.gov>, "jessanderson@utah.gov" <jessanderson@utah.gov>, "Mayor Wilson" <mayor@slco.org>, "Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall 2021" <mayor@slcgov.com>, "Jen Dailey-Provost" <jdprovost@le.utah.gov>, "llstringham@slco.org" <llstringham@slco.org>, "suharrison@slco.org" <suharrison@slco.org>, "County Council Member Bradshaw" <arbradshaw@slco.org>, "Salt Lake City (UT) City Council" <council.comments@slcgov.com>, "Schools Utah Webmaster" <webmaster@schools.utah.gov>, "Attorney General of Utah" <uag@utah.gov>, "Uag" <uag@agutah.gov>, "Utah Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse 2021" <info@capsa.org>, "Utah Press Assn Director Brian Allfrey 2022" <ballfrey@utahpress.com>, "jsweeney@sltrib.com" <jsweeney@sltrib.com>, "leo.abila" <leo.abila@slcgov.com>, "nbauer@abc4.com" <nbauer@abc4.com>, "Jennifer Gardiner" <jgardiner@abc4.com>, "Crimevictims GV" <crimevictims@utah.gov>, "Univ of Utah Criminology Dir. Heather Melton" <heather.melton@soc.utah.edu>, "lish.harris@utahtech.edu" <lish.harris@utahtech.edu>, "Molly Sween" <mollysween@weber.edu>, "media@utahsafetycouncil.org" <media@utahsafetycouncil.org>, "Internships" <internships@romney.senate.gov>, "Joel_wellum" <joel_wellum@lee.senate.gov>, "Utah Republican Party" <info@utgop.org>, "Utahia Info" <info@utahia.org>, "slcpdpr@slcgov.com" <slcpdpr@slcgov.com>, "Slchamber Info" <info@slchamber.com>, "anielson@murrayschools.org" <anielson@murrayschools.org>, "anielson@murrayschools.org" <anielson@murrayschools.org>

Sent: Tue, Jan 23, 2024 at 9:04 PM

Subject: High Total Number of Child Abuse Cases in UT in 2021

https://www.statista.com/statistics/203841/number-of-child-abuse-cases-in-the-us-by-state/

A key statement from the above  copyrighted online report:

"Based on State submissions to National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) of alleged child abuse and neglect. NCANDS collects case level data on children who received child protective services response in the form of an investigative or alternative response. Each state has its own definition of child abuse and neglect based on standards set by federal law. Child abuse is defined as any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk or serious harm."

January 23, 2024

Dear Utah State House Majority Leader Mike Schultz,

Thank you again for having kindly invited me in writing on December 6, 2023,  to offer you concerns of mine about Utah.

Today I was surprised and saddened to read online that in the year 2021, Utah in 2021 ranked as the "21st Worst State" in the USA for the total statewide number of reported child abuse cases in that state. The total number of child abuse cases in Utah in 2021 was 6,339. 

Above is an exactly quoted explanatory paragraph accompanying the  copyrighted ranking of U.S. states at statista.com that is based on the number of reported child abuse cases in each such state.

Among the western U.S. states that in 2021 reportedly each had a lower total statewide number of child abuse cases than Utah are: New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Washington State, and Wyoming (Wyoming is the state that in 2021 had  the lowest total  number of reported child abuse cases of all of the states in our multi-state western region).

Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia in 2021 each had a lower total number of child abuse cases than Utah. 

Arizona was not included in the rankings, since the State Government of Arizona apparently failed to report that information for their state to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.

State House Majority Leader Schultz, I hope this follow-up letter is helpful to you and your Utah State House colleagues.

Best Wishes,

John Kevin McMillan, 535 South 200 East, Apt. 912, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

My cell phone number: (512) 993-7305.

My home phone: (801) 355-0850.