MA's Drop In Child Abuse Claims A Troubling Sign

BOSTON — On paper, declining reports of child abuse, neglect or abandonment are a good sign.

Last month, abuse or neglect claims to the state Department of Children and Families dropped to just over 900 a week, down 60 percent from the previous March. But that's not necessarily a cause for celebration, because the coronavirus pandemic has forced families inward and away from sources of relief for abused kids.

The system of child abuse and protective services is driven by mandatory reporters, including teachers, early educators, medical personnel and first responders, said Maria Mossaides, director of the state's Office of the Child Advocate. The bulk of those reports come from teachers, who sometimes observe signs of abuse and other times have students confide in them that abuse is going on at home.

"One of the things that happens every year is there's a drop in the number of reports during the summer," Mossaides told Patch. "When schools reopen in September, toward the middle or end of September through the early part of October, we see an increase in allegations of abuse and neglect filed."

Of the 96,879 intake reports received by the Department of Children and Families last year, 98.7 percent were filed through the 51A process, which means they were sent in by a mandated reporter or concerned citizen. Other outlets for bringing cases to the attention of the DCF, such as referrals from the Juvenile Court or Probate and Family Court, babies surrendered under the Safe Haven Act and voluntary requests for services from families, make up less than 2 percent of all reports.

More than half of the intake reports filed last year were substantiated, according to Mossaides.

>>>See Also: MA Coronavirus: Domestic Violence Calls Increase, Police Say

As schools have moved classes online and neighbors have been encouraged to minimize interactions, the system for addressing abuse has lost its "extra set of eyes," Mossaides said. In addition, child advocates are concerned about stressors such as unemployment, working from home or loss of routine.

"Anytime there's stress in a family, there's a risk that someone will respond inappropriately by hitting a child or shaking a child," Mossaides said. "And there's also incidents of physical neglect, where families don't have enough to feed their children."

Mossaides encouraged residents to reach out to families they know and check on children in their neighborhood, similar to what people are asked to do for the elderly during a storm. Resources include 211, which has increased its staff and will direct callers to the materials they need, and enhanced behavioral health supports through telemedicine, Mossaides said.

There are also resources for maintaining emotional health and wellbeing on the state's COVID-19 website.

"It's ok to ask for help," Mossaides said. "If people come forward and get the help they need, that's probably the best protection for the children."