Adisturbing number of children in New York's juvenile justice system are reporting physical, emotional or sexual abuse at the hands of staff members, and not enough is being done to stop it.

A review of claims going back to 2004 show that young people held in state detention facilities reported 686 claims of abuse.

There are about 2,000 juveniles between the ages of 12 and 18 currently being held in New York, and the apparent lack of adequate oversight at the state's juvenile detention centers has drawn the interest of agencies like Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Yes, young people with criminal backgrounds sometimes make up stories to try to get their guards in trouble, but the fact is that some children being detained by the state are being sexually and physically abused and emotionally damaged by staffers at juvenile facilities.

Indeed, nearly 25 percent of the 686 recent allegations of abuse were later confirmed by investigators, and experts say many more cases are never reported by children fearful of retribution.

For its part, the state Office of Children and Family Services says conditions are improving, that facilities have become open to children's advocates, community groups and lawmakers who want to see for themselves what's going on. But the extraordinary number of abuse complaints clearly shows that more needs to be done.

Over and above the state's authority to confine young people and attempt to educate and rehabilitate them is its obligation to keep them from harm.

The mission statement for Children and Family Services says its goal is to promote the well-being and safety of New York's children. Its juvenile justice program appears #- far too often #- to be failing miserably.