HARRISBURG, Pa. —
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announced on June 11 the number of calls to report suspected child abuse or neglect continues to be lower than usual amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, officials said, lower reporting numbers likely are not correlated with less abuse.
From May 1 to 28, ChildLine, the state’s 24/7 hotline for reporting concerns of abuse or neglect, received 2,040 calls. DHS reported calls this May are down 38 percent since May 2019.
“I wish I could say that the reduction of calls reflected a reduction of child abuse, but we don’t really believe that,” said Jon Rubin, deputy secretary for the Office of Children, Youth and Families. “We do have the concern that it is more reflective of the lack of reporting.”
Because of the pandemic kids aren’t in school, where teachers and other employees are often the first to spot potential abuse. In 2018, Pennsylvania school employees reported more than a third of the state’s abuse cases.
Calls to report abuse generally go down in the summer, when school is out.
Because of closures, this summer kids will be in even less contact with mandated reporters than usual. A mandated reporter, such as a teacher, doctor or daycare provider, is legally required to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to the relevant authorities.
Camps are allowed to reopen this summer, but many have already cancelled their entire season due to COVID-19 concerns. Accordingly, fewer kids will be able to attend camp, where employees such as counselors are also mandated reporters.
“There are many people, particularly among vulnerable populations, who will continue to feel the effects of this public health crisis for many months and years to come,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller.
Call numbers are up slightly since March, when 50 percent fewer calls came in than in March 2019.
“A 40-percent reduction is far from great, but it is better than the 50-percent gap we were seeing back in March,” Miller said.
The increase is possibly a result of DHS's targeted awareness campaign for more community reporting of abuse cases. Officials encourage community members to report any suspected child abuse.
Even during the pandemic, investigations of abuse reports have continued, officials said. State agencies have provided employees with PPE and instructed them to social distance when possible while interacting with families.
“We’ve considered our childcare welfare staff and system to be part of that emergency responder community,” Rubin said.
Some state agencies are training mandated reporters to spot signs of abuse remotely. For example, Philadelphia School District sent teachers specific questions to ask children and parents to determine their situation and needs.
Signs of potential abuse include numerous, unexplained injuries; chronic anxiety and expressed feelings of inadequacy; poor impulse control; demonstrating abuse behavior or talk; flinching or avoidance to being touched; cruelty to animals or others; and fear of a parent or caregiver.
To report suspected abuse or neglect, call ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.