Monday, July 6, 2020

CBS Interviews Social Workers: Child Abuse Underreported During COVID


I am very sensitive to the fact that every person has a different view of COVID and are at different stages with their feelings and thoughts. I am not here to argue any of those concerns. What I want to highlight is the number of underreported cases of child abuse going on. On May 5, CBS aired a 4 minute clip of interviews with social workers who explain what is going on in their world during COVID.

The incidences of child abuse are way higher than deaths from COVID right now, so with precautions, I am hoping and praying that schools open on time and that children can come back to their safe places. Yes, it's good in many cases for parents to choose whether to have their children take online courses or go to school in person, but keep in mind, some parents of abused children will choose to keep their children home to protect the abuser, whether it's themselves, or someone else in the household. As the risk for COVID decreases, the risk for child abuse continues to increase the longer children remain at home all day due to stress on the family, or history of previous abuse.

The purpose of this post is to increase awareness, so we can all sound the alarm and report suspected child abuse. If you suspect child abuse, please call the child abuse hotline at 1-800- 800-5556.
Please take four minutes to watch this CBS clip: Child Abuse Underreported During COVID
Indiana Department of Child Services website: Indiana DCS Website