Reports of child abuse and neglect dropped by nearly 50 percent in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky in the weeks after quarantine restrictions began.
Now, six months later, child protection workers are seeing more severe physical abuse, especially of very young children, than they did in 2019.
INVESTIGATION.REPORTS OF CHILDABUSE AND NEGLECT FELL BYNEARLY 50 PERCENT IN OHIO,KENTUCKY AND INDIANA -- RIGHTAFTER QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONSBEGAN BACK IN MARCH.NOW - SIX MONTHS LATER - THEWCPO 9 I-TEAM HAS DISCOVEREDCHILD ABUSE REPORTS ON THEREBOUND.INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERPAULA CHRISTIAN DIGS INTO WHYTHIS IS HAPPENING -- ANDEXPLAINS THE DISTURBING NEWTRENDS IN ABUSE CASES THAT AREWORRYING CHILD ADVOCATES.ááááITEAMBONGáááá"We've had more shaken babycases and just more severityof injuries."AS ASSISTANTDIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'SSERVICES FOR HAMILTON COUNTY'SJOB AND FAMILY SERVICES,MARGIE WEAVER IS WORRIED ABOUTWHAT SHE'S SEEING."Injuries such as headinjuries.""More broken bones orfractures." THE I-TEAM FIRSTREPORTED ON CHILD ABUSE INAPRIL, WHEN ABUSE REPORTSPLUNGED AFTER STATE OFFICIALSSHUT DOWN SCHOOLS AND ISSUEDSTAY AT HOME ORDERS.
CHILDADVOCATES WORRIED THE ABUSEWAS STILL OCCURRING BEHINDCLOSED DOORS, WHERE MANDATEDREPORTERS SUCH AS TEACHERS ANDDAY CARE WORKERS COULDN'T SEEIT.
WHEN GOVERNOR DEWINELIFTED THOSE ORDERS HOTLINEABUSE CALLS IMMEDIATELYDROPPED."Essentially we've seen thenumber of reports clearlycorresponding to shutdownorders, school closures, childcare closures." CALLERSREPORTING CHILD ABUSE ANDNEGLECT IN OHIO, INDIANA ANDKENTUCKY INCREASED TO MORENORMAL LEVELS THIS SUMMER,--BUT EACH OF THOSE THREESTATES SAY OVERALL REPORTS ARESTILL DOWN BY THOUSANDSCOMPARED TO LAST YEAR.BUTLOCAL CHILD PROTECTION WORKERSSAY THE SEVERITY OF PHYSICALABUSE, ESPECIALLY TO VERYYOUNG CHILDREN, IS WORSEáááNOW THAN IN 2019.THEINCREASE IN PHYSICAL ABUSECASES DIDN'T SURPRISE KATHIMAKOROFF.SHE'S THE MEDICALDIRECTOR AT THE MAYERSONCENTER FOR SAFE AND HEALTHYCHILDREN AT CINCINNATICHILDREN'SHOSPITAL."Obviously with this pandemicthere are lots of stressorsnot just economic stressorsbut child care concerns, jobconcerns, health concerns."EACH YEAR THE MAYERSON TEAMTREATS MORE THAN 2,000CHILDREN FROM OHIO, KENTUCKYAND INDIANA AND EVALUATES FOURTO EIGHT SUSPECTED ABUSE CASESA DAY.
MAKOROFF SAYS THENUMBER OF TODDLERS WHO ARESWALLOWING HARMFULPRESCRIPTION MEDICINES AT HOMEHAS GONE UP DURINGN THEPANDEMIC."There is probably asupervisionissue." "You're askingfamilies to do a lot more anda lot more at home thantypical.
SOCIAL WORKERS AREALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT KIDSARE SEEING ATHOME."We've interviewed a few kidswhose parents were murderedthrough domestic violence andthe child was there or woke upto this."ANDREA RICHEY ALSOWORKS AT THE MAYERSON CENTER.SHE SAYS CHILDREN WHO ARESPENDING MORE TIME ONLINEBECAUSE OF REMOTE LEARNINGCOULD BE IN GREATER DANGER OFBEING APPROACHED BY A SEXUALPREDATOR."I think that kids that arefeeling lonely, feelingisolated that are feelingstressed out and depressed,and don't want to talk totheir family about it arereaching out online." TRACYCOOK IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OFPRO KIDS IN HAMILTON COUNTY.IT'S A NONPROFIT THATADVOCATES FOR ABUSED CHILDRENIN FOSTERCARE."Our caseloads are up um,quite dramatically."WHILEOVERALL ABUSE HOTLINE CALLSARE DOWN, ADVOCATES SAY MOREOF THOSE CALLS LEADAUTHORITIES TO ACTUAL PHYSICALABUSE OF CHILDREN."I predict that the fall andwinter are going to be some ofthe most extraordinarilychallenging times that childprotection has ever gonethrough." COOK SAYS A SURGE INABUSE REPORTS COULD COME NOWTHAT SOME SCHOOLS ARE NOW BACKIN-PERSON."We know that the timing of itlikely has to do with kidscoming back into contact withfolks like teachers, coachesand health careprofessionals."HOW CAN THE PUBLIC HELP?CHILDADVOCATES SAY TO REACH OUTWITH A PHONE CALL AND OFFER TOHELP FAMILIES WHO MAY BESTRUGGLING RIGHT NOW,ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH YOUNGCHILDREN.
PAULA CHRISTIAN,NINE NEWS I-TEAM.IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THATCOULD BE ABUSE -- CHILDADVOCATES SAY YOU SHOULDREPORT IT.
THE NUMBERS FORCHILD ABUSE HOTLINES FOR CHILDABUSE HOTLINES ARE THERE ONYOUR SCREEN.
HERE'S ANOTHERWAY THE PUBLIC CAN HELP."PROKIDS" IS LOOKING FORVOLUNTEERS TO WORK AS COURTAPPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES--OR "CASAS" -- FOR ABUSEDCHILDREN.
YOU CAN FIND OUTMORE ABOUT THAT IN PAULA'SDIGITAL STORY ON WCPO.COM