Op-Ed: For Some Children, the ‘Safer at Home’ Order has Dangerous Consequences
Reports of child abuse have decreased nationally, indicating a lack of community visibility to signs of abuse.
Mitzi Hobot
MPA, MBA
Executive Director
CornerHouse
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and typically during this time efforts have been focused on engaging communities to increase awareness of the prevalence and impact of child abuse. However, we now find ourselves in unprecedented times confronted with challenges not only to share this information, but also the heartbreaking understanding that more children will now be experiencing abuse as a result of having to shelter in place. The current reality is likely contributing to greater and prolonged child abuse as the stressors, time in isolation, and proximity to perpetrators increases.
“Mandatory reporters are now not available to check in and monitor youth in order to get them help when they are in danger or experiencing abuse. ”
Minnesota’s leaders have been working tirelessly to keep people safe and healthy against the COVID-19 pandemic by mandating that people stay in their homes. However, “home” is not always safe. While Minnesotan’s may be sheltered from contracting or spreading COVID-19, children and partners who live in abusive homes are at risk for different, but equally severe and immediate health concerns that can impose life-long damage.
Increase in Domestic Violence Indicates Struggle
Governor Walz reported last week that a full two-thirds of the 911 calls received during the first weekend of the “Safer at Home” order were in response to domestic violence. This is a very clear indicator that many of Minnesota’s families are struggling. Coupled with this is the news that there has been a disturbing and seemingly inexplicable decline in child abuse calls across the nation. Reports coming out of Washington D.C., Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas are showing dramatic reductions in child abuse calls attributed to reduced ‘community visibility’.
Children Are Isolated From Trusted Adults
Mandatory reporters - people who regularly see children at schools, childcare, community programs, etc. – are now not available to check in and monitor youth in order to get them help when they are in danger or experiencing abuse. Tennessee has reported 1,231 fewer calls in March 2020 from March 2019 while Virginia has reported 1,600 fewer calls. While we are waiting on the data from here in Minnesota, our professional networks and contacts are already telling us that calls are also down.
Of course, we desperately wish that reduced calls meant reduced incidents – but it’s much more likely the opposite. Children no longer have access to their traditional escape mechanisms, and their advocates within the public sphere have limited to no ability to check on them and to protect them.
“As schools transition to online platforms, teachers and counselors will be able to reconnect with youth who are at risk. ”
CornerHouse is a Children’s Advocacy Center in Minneapolis that has served on the frontlines for over 30 years to protect youth who experience abuse. In this new reality, our work continues, but must adapt to the challenges now present with the COVID-19 crisis. Researchers at CornerHouse have linked social isolation to increased rates of child maltreatment. Accordingly, our team has initiated our tele-mental health and tele-support checks with families who are currently on our caseload. We have begun implementing our digital drop-in family support groups and continue to offer forensic interviews for emergency cases. Cornerhouse is also continuing to field community calls to help families in need.
What Can We Do?
We are hopeful that as schools transition to online platforms, teachers and counselors will be able to reconnect with youth who are at risk. We also urge extended families to stay in contact with one another in the interest of protecting these children. For those in need, please know that resources are available and can be found on school district websites, by visiting the American Society of the Positive Care of Children’s Learning Center, or by calling the United Way’s 2-1-1 number or website for resources. Finally, families are of course encouraged to visit CornerHouse’s website for these listings and others, as well as listings for crisis line information.
As state leaders and elected officials work to renew the social service safety net for Minnesota once the COVID-19 crisis finally subsides, CornerHouse strongly advocates that adequate investments of meaningful resources are made to respond to this silent surge of abuse that we know will soon surface.
We all must be cognizant of the fact that just because the number of reported child abuse calls have gone down during this disruption of services, that in fact our state has not won a victory towards reducing child abuse – that quite the opposite is occurring.
Within the large shadows now present as a result of this societal disruption, perpetrators are going undetected. In fact, this disruption has sacrificed the safety and wellbeing of families in abusive homes for the greater good of pandemic suppression. We all need to band together to help in the coming weeks and months and reconnect our families to the protections they need against child abuse and the opportunity to heal.