Massachusetts Reports High Child Abuse, Neglect Rates 

BOSTON (AP) — Newly released figures show that Massachusetts reported the highest rate of abused and neglected children in the nation during the 2014 fiscal year.

The federal figures reported in The Boston Globe show that Massachusetts reported 31,863 victimized children to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the fiscal year that ended in September 2014. That works out to 22.9 victims per 1,000 children, making it the highest per capita rate in the country.

In the fiscal year that ended in September 2015, the state reported 31,114 victims, or 22.4 victims per 1,000 children. National figures are not yet available for 2015.

State officials attributed the increased number of reported cases to greater public awareness and increased vigilance.

Advocates also blamed the opioid abuse crisis.