“While coronavirus has children home and families strained, abuse and neglect could rise”, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
The coronavirus pandemic has left 3 million New York children home from school, with untold numbers cared for by adults facing rising job, health and food insecurities, all within the close quarters required for social distancing.
One expected result, experts say, will be child neglect and abuse.
“There’s real worry about child safety and well being,” said Danielle Weisberg, director of child welfare at the Westchester Institute for Human Development in Valhalla.
“The families that come to the attention of the child welfare system are already vulnerable on a good day,” she said. “Given that economic instability is a significant contributing factor for child abuse and child neglect … we’re bound to see an increase in cases of child abuse.”
Child welfare advocates fear that a potential crisis will be hidden from public view.
Vulnerable children are isolated at home, and cut off from teachers, after-school workers and others who are trained to spot and report signs of abuse. So the number of reported cases is already dropping, including in Westchester and Rockland counties, even as the social conditions that lead to abuse are intensifying.
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“If we don’t have schools to report the kids who show up with belt marks and slap marks … they’re not going to come to the attention of Child Protective Services,” said Dr. Nina Agrawal, a pediatrician who specializes in child abuse and practices in New York. “They’re not going to go to the doctors.”
When schools eventually reopen and children return to public view, experts fear that a dark reality may come to light, requiring the swift intervention of educators, therapists and the child welfare system.
Main reporters aren’t in school now
Suspected cases of child abuse and neglect are called into the New York Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment, known as the Child Abuse Hotline. From there, they are forwarded to local agencies to investigate.
The overwhelming majority of calls to the hotline are made by people who usually work in schools but are now home, trying to do their jobs remotely while caring for their own families, health concerns and more.
About 70% of the reports made to the Child Abuse Hotline come from schools, said Billye Jones, a clinical social worker and Westchester resident who specializes in childhood trauma.
“Many children, even with sexual abuse, don’t directly disclose. It’s sometimes indirect,” Jones said. “That’s why being able to see kids is critical.”
Teachers and school staff are mandated reporters who, by law, have to report any suspicion of abuse or neglect. They are trained to watch for subtle signs: students coming to school tired or hungry, experiencing changes in behavior or missing school with no explanation.
Such signs can be harder to spot than a bruise. The majority of children who come to the attention of the system are being neglected, not physically abused, by parents who can’t properly care for or supervise them. Other children live in homes with domestic violence, and face ongoing fear and trauma.
The more stress levels rise, and the longer abuse goes undetected, the more severe it’s likely to become.
“You run the risk of a fatality,” Agrawal said. “We know that happened in the last recession, and this is headed to be far worse, because of the school closures. Tensions are a lot higher.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists high unemployment rates and lack of social connection as “community risks factors” that lead to child maltreatment and domestic violence. This is a time of bewildering social disconnection and enormous job losses.
Reports dropping
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services, which operates the child abuse hotline, said in an email that calls have decreased slightly since the pandemic began. But, they said, it would be “premature and inaccurate” to consider the decrease a trend.
Still, local trends are concerning.
Rockland County received about 30% fewer reports of possible abuse last month than it had in March of previous years, said Joan Silvestri, commissioner of the county Department of Social Services. An average of about 300 Rockland families are under the eye of the child welfare system each month.
“The eyes and ears of neighbors and teachers are our source of referrals,” Silvestri said. “We got very concerned from the beginning, that we would not be seeing those reports.
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When DSS does get a report, it must check on the family within 24 hours. Now, child protective workers screen the family first, to see if there’s anyone symptomatic in the home. Staff have received training from nurses in the use of personal protective equipment.
“We are, in a lot of ways, first responders at this point,” Silvestri said. “We will enter the premises.”
Once workers have assessed a child’s safety, the department determines how many visits the family needs in the future. Face-to-face encounters are supplemented with phone and video encounters, and some meetings are being held outdoors to maintain social distance.
“We’re doing it all, but it has been extremely challenging,” Silvestri said.
In Westchester, last month’s reports were down 40% from March 2019. The county Department of Social Services handled over 7,000 reports of child maltreatment in 2019
“We continue to initiate investigations immediately following a report, assess safety both through screening and follow up as needed, and utilize available technology to make contacts, including home visits,” John Befus, first deputy commissioner for DSS, said in an email.
“Our staff are equipped with specialized protocols to protect their own safety, and the safety of the children and families we serve.”
The need to watch
When children do return to school, social workers say there could be a rapid spike in reports of abuse and neglect. The child welfare system, hemmed in by budget cuts, may not be ready to handle it.
“I believe very strongly that the number of reports is going to skyrocket,” Weisberg said. “I do worry that because the tax revenue within the state and the counties is going to be so drastically reduced, there may be budget cuts to programs that are going to be needed more than ever to support families who’ve been in crisis.”
For now, it’s vital for school social workers and counselors to maintain communication with their students, said Michael Cappiello, president-elect of the New York State chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, a longtime Westchester resident working for the New York City schools.
“Many students at risk were identified long before the current crisis, and a lot of my work is simply continuing to reach out directly to families,” he said.
Billye Jones, who has worked extensively with abused children, said schools could have social workers or counselors present at food pick-up locations, to get a look at children who may live in stressful homes.
However, not every district has enough social workers or counselors, even in good times, a telling sign of the equity gap among school systems.
“We have been seeing a statewide cut in school social work services,” Cappiello.
Domestic violence and child abuse often exist in the same homes. For children who witness domestic violence, school usually serves as their respite. But not now.
“Having to be there day in and day out, with absolutely no ability to get out and get away, has got to be terrifying and emotionally damaging,” said Cindy Kanusher, executive director of the Pace Women’s Justice Center. “It’s really scary, because I’m not sure what exactly can be done right now, except to make sure that resources are still available.”
Hotlines and shelters that serve domestic violence victims are still operating, said Jean Roemer, director of children and youth services at Center for Safety & Change in New City, a shelter and victims services provider.
“Everybody is still running,” Roemer. “The center is still operating, although we’re working remotely. So if somebody needs an emergency order of protection, we can assist with that. If somebody needs to leave their home, we can assist with that.”
The system is active. Emergency removals, investigations and court cases continue. But the current challenge of this time remains: someone has to have reason to suspect neglect or abuse and make a report.
“Community members can report child abuse,” Agrawal said. “I’m not saying that that’s where you need to start. But know that if you really are concerned, you have the ability to report just a concern. You don’t have to report proof.”
Services to know
New York State Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-342-3720.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Center for Safety & Change 24-hour hotline: 845-634-3344
WestCOP Victim’s Assistance Services toll-free hotline: 855-827-2255
My Sister’s Place 24-hour hotline: 1-800-298-7233
Pace Women’s Justice Center legal hotline: 914-287-0739
Sophie Grosserode covers education. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter @sdgrosserode. Check out our latest subscription offers here.