So says the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15288865

and Texas seems to be the worst state.

"Every five hours a child dies from abuse or neglect in the US. The latest government figures show an estimated 1,770 children were killed as a result of maltreatment in 2009. A recent congressional report concludes the real number could be nearer 2,500. In fact, America has the worst child abuse record in the industrialised world."

I wonder if a desire for a "keep your hands off" government is a partial cause, is what happens inside peoples homes considerd nobody elses business?

That is shocking and sickening. I've read some stories in our local paper and they are heartbreaking I don't know how people could do such things.

Not sure it's more prevalent here because of the fear of a 'nanny type state' by some people, or not. There is a lots of real poverty in parts of America, but there is in other countries in the world. I don't know the reason

Any abuse of children is one too many, but I believe it is hype to single out the US. Perhaps they should label it as the country with the most reported cases of child abuse as the media will highlight these cases as they should do.

Comparing crime rates (or really any demographic rate) across countries is notoriously unreliable due to differences in reporting and definition. Check out the difficulty in making cross-country murder rate or infant mortality rate comparisons, for example.

I suspect that along with the killing of a spouse, it is difficult to get accurate statistics. Every year there are many reported deaths and injuries of children and spouses due to falls or other types of accidents. Usually most of those are listed as accidental deaths but there is no way to be sure.

Even when police suspect child abuse or the murder of a spouse, suspicion alone is not enough to charge and convict someone of child abuse or killing their spouse.

When I was visiting a friend in Austria in the 1970s, she said that her baby rolled off the changing table and got a bruise on his head but didn't take the child to see a doctor since she was worried that she would be prosecuted for child abuse.

In most other types of crimes, the crime creates the statistic and not the prosecution of the crime.

This doesn't surprise me.

Sadly, this is why I had to stop the delivery of the daily newspaper in Las Vegas. The torture, abuse, etc. of kids there is quite widespread.

I think the big problem in Texas is the lack of education. Anyone can pull their kids out of school and 'home school', anyone can hid behind 'religion' from the law, and everyone afraid to stand up.

It is one of the USA's big secret tragedies. It goes right into the heart of the US belief of government hands off, but then assumes the citizens are smart enough to take care of themselves. (Which many are undereducated and the cycle never breaks over generations.)

A country in which it is acceptable for homeless families to live in cars (we are seeing more and more of these just at my small charity) will be different from the rest of the western world.

I'm not sure I'm understanding the corrolation between homeschooling, religion, and child abuse. You may have something there but I only see a leap in logic. Are you saying more abuse happens among the home schooled? Or more abusers are religious? Statistically I don't think that will hold up.

Lack of education and poverty are certainly reflected in the reported statistics but child abuse happens at every level and across all socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural lines. However, intervention is actually less likely in the more affluent home.

Yes. The lack of financial support for CPS is shameful.