Page 8/The Battalion/Tuesday, January 31, 1984
Child abuse cases up
R!
by Paul Di
H£y t RANDV,mAr
AL-L. of ms sruff?
United Press International
HOUSTON — Cases of sex
ual abuse of children have in
creased dramatically in the last
13 months, a Harris County offi
cial said Monday.
Elizabeth Scarborough, a
director of the county’s Chil
drens’ Protective Services office,
said childrens heightened
awareness of the problem prob
ably accounts for a 19 percent
increase in reported cases from
1982 to 1983.
“We suspect there is a lot
more abuse going on in the com
munity than we hear about,” she
said.
For instance, she said there
were 31 deaths of children from
neglect or abuse in 1983, and
that the county was not aware of
“the majority” of those before
the youngster was killed.
“It is hard to say whether
abuse is increasing. All we see
are the cases reported. We think
it may be worse because people
are under stress because of their
financial situations,” she said.
There were 929 cases of sex
ual abuse of a child in 1983 in
Harris County, compared to 643
in 1982, Ms. Scarborough said.
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And in the first month of
1984, the county has received 85
sexual abuse cases, compared to
60 in the first month of 1983.
Despite the increase in sexual
abuse, the overall number of
cases of abuse and neglect
leveled off in 1982.
Figures over the past three
years are 7,303 cases in 1981;
8,660 in 1982 and 8,003 in 1983.
OFF
CAMPUS
AGOIES
General Meeting
February 1, 1984-
6:30 p.m. 601 Rudctei*
Spring activities will be discussed
• Chairman positions available
-Pizza at Pastas after meeting-
AUTO INSURANCE
FOR AGGIES
Call: George Webb
Farmers Insurance Group
3400 S. College 823 8051
Muster to remain
on Easter weekend
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By KARI WEEKS
Reporter
Battalion Classifieds
Call 845-2611
The Muster Committee of
the Student Government has
voted to keep Muster on April
21 even though it falls during
Easter weekend, Muster Chair
woman Nancy York said.
In a December meeting, the
Muster Committee voted 18-7 to
keep San Jacinto Day as the tra
ditional day to honor students
and former students who have
died, York said.
“We researched both sides of
the issue for about 2-‘A months,”
York said. Even though an in
formal poll showed that 553 out
of 857 students wanted to
change the date, the committee
decided to hold the ceremony
on the traditional day. she said.
“Some students threatened
not to attend if it was changed,"
York said.
Those in favor of April 21 did
not want to break tradition,
York said. However, many
hometown musters are not held
on the traditional San Jacinto
Day, she said. »
she said.
“There was concern i!n|
split would occur between
campus Muster and the Bn
County muster,” York said I
Brazos County A&M
cided to hold its muster Apn ' ,
even if the campus Mue|
changed, York said.
There was a similar
in 1968 when the Student
Vork said some students
wanted to change the dale be
cause attendance might decline.
They thought everyone should
have the opportunity to attend
Muster without having to choose
between it and Easier weekend.
ate planned to reschedule
ter for April 22. Alter stn
student opposition Mustet
mained April 21.
“It is the feeling that cot
not the dav,’’ York said. “He
that we can ho*
is no way
after the 21st if we made
right decision.”
BEAT THE RUSH! ENTER IM
SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL TODAY!
* Entries will be accepted through 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7
the IM-Rec Sports Office, 159 East Kyle.
* Remember to bring your ID and Team Entry Fee
* For further info call 845-7826
in
, * r *u8ni Mi
Dallas chimpanzee also nominated
Watt leads ‘boneheadi
United Press International
DALLAS — Music critic and
environmentalist James Watt
Monday topped the list of
nominees for “Bonehead of the
Year,” an award given annually
by a Dallas civic group to honor
monumental goofs and their
perpetrators. Past winners have
included former President
Richard M. Nixon, the Susan B.
Anthony Dollar and Texas
A&M University.
A spokesman for the Bone-
head Club of Dallas said Watt
was selected because of the way
in which he “established himself
as a music critic, sociologist, en
vironmentalist, comedian and
all around loveable government
employee” during his tenure as
Secretary of the Interior.
During his stint as Interior
Secretary, Watt repeatedly drew
criticism for his remarks and ac
tions, among them his ban of the
Beach Boys from a July 4th con
cert in Washington.
The group also nominated
"U.S. weather forecasters who
did not see the 1983 deep freeze
coming, could not believe it was
here and didn’t know when it
would leave.”
Also vying for the prize are
' dor
ners of football games Iasi
Others singled out by the.
included the Glen Rosefirt
partment's on-the-job trait
program in which thtirl
trucks, rescue boat and
ambulances were destroyd
their fire station burned lo
ground.
“the Cabbage Patch dolls that
somehow slipped between Dar
win and Creationism and found
ed a whole new concept of ori
gin” and “Kanda,” the Dallas
chimpanzee, that made monk
eys out of the nations’ pro foot
ball experts with her ‘on the
money’ predictions.”
The Dallas Zoo chimpanzee
repeatedly bested sportswriters
by correctly predicting the win-
Jacob Friedrich BnA
who years before the Wn|
brothers sucessfully achiewj
sustained, controlled fli[
powered aircraft of his om
sign in 1865, was nominaW
was “1984” author Get:
Orwell for being “right al
the whole thing.”
Final selection ofthewii
is set for next week. A trophy
be presented to the view/
Feb. 10.
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Divorce rate increases again
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Divorces
increased in 1981 for the 19th
straight year to a record 1.21
million, up slightly from the pre
vious year, the government said
Monday.
In its report on final divorce
data for 1981, the National Cen-
POLITICAL
FORUM
The Raging Controversy:
Preservation vs.
Development
FORMER INTERIOR SECRETARY
JAMES
WATT
Students: 50<t/ Non-Students: $1
WED. FEB.l 8:00 PM RUDDER AUD.
i ^^TTlemomal Student Centen— 1
all geographic divisions except
ter for Health Statistics said its
information indicated the di
vorce rate was 5.3 for each 1,000
people in the total population,
up from 5.2 in 1980 ana equal to
the record set in 1979.
Preliminary statistics released
by the center late last year for
1982 show the number of di
vorces fell in that year for the
first time in 20 years to 1.18 mil
lion and the divorce rate fell to
5.1 per 1,000 Americans. Pre
liminary figures are not yet
available for 1983.
In its new report, the agency
said the 1.21 million divorces in
1981 compared to 1.19 million
the previous year.
Increases were recorded in
oi
in
the eastern North Central;-^ -
of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
gan and Wisconsin, wherf*JjJ
vorces dropped to 206,9‘lf l ^
1981, down from 212,405|p
1980, the agency’s report»
California had 11 percent
all divorces in the countni
1981, or 133,578, followed!
Texas, with 101,856. Ver® t
recorded fewer divorces^ NE1
any other state, 2,263. Ameri
The divorce rate also‘J er ho:
highest in the West, whereS 1I JK nii
statistics measured 6.3 dim An
for every 1,000 people, w] P ercei
percent more than the Norl re gula
east’s rate of 3.6. In the !\ ri «F Tc ei
Central States, the rate tvaij Asl
per 1,000 population andin J °‘f° 0
South, 6.1, the agency said. B
Tickets go sale Monday, Jan. 30.
ouVe$!
“A MUSICAL TREASURE
FOR FAMILIES TO SHARE’
Presented by MSC Town Hall/Broadway
Texas A&M University, Rudder Auditorium
February 9,8:00 p.m.
Tickets $ 10.00, $ 9.00, $ 8.50
MSC Box Office
V isa/Master car d
Call 845-1234
1