Child abuse reports down, but experts warn reality may be otherwise

Kelly Kenoyer

While reports of domestic violence are on the rise locally, child abuse reporting has actually fallen by a quarter in Sweet Home.

Police Chief Jeff Lynn said there were 392 reports of child abuse between January and October of 2019, but just 291 duuring that same timeframe this year.

“That’s a substantial decrease in calls, and that’s because we have fewer mandatory reporters in contact with children,” Lynn said.

Local experts say it’s likely the decrease doesn’t mean children have stopped being abused – in fact, in some cases the abuse is more severe now that children are at home 24/7, and can’t go to school.

Jenny Gilmore-Robinson, the director of the Linn-Benton children’s advocacy center ABC House, said her organization, which handles the most complicated and severe cases of child abuse, has handled slightly more cases this year than last, even though they severely restricted cases in the spring at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Anecdotally, the cases we saw over the summer and continue to see have been really severe,” she said. “The severity has been really concerning. More so than usual.”

On top of physical and sexual abuse cases, Gilmore-Robinson reports a lot of cases involving exposure to domestic violence or parental drug abuse. She said reporting for the most severe cases is still getting through, but more subtle, harder to notice cases are slipping through the cracks.

“Those are cases where a teacher or counselor who knows the child really well would notice a change,” she said. “There’s reason to believe that those mandatory reporters not having contact means the more subtle cases might go unnoticed.”

The Oregon Department of Human Services child abuse hotline has seen an 18 percent reduction in calls alleging abuse or neglect this year, and a 16 percent reduction in cases assigned.

There is reason to believe the pandemic may increase the prevalence of child abuse, Gilmore-Robinson said. Evidence shows that child abuse instances can increase in times of distaster. The increased pressure and stress, on top of disrupted daily routines and limited resources, create a very tense situation in which children are particularly vulnerable.

“The truth is we really just don’t know, but that’s a logical conclusion,” she said.

On top of that, domestic violence and child abuse are strongly correlated.

“If someone has that lack of impulse control and is willing to commit violence, absolutely children are at risk,” she said. “Being exposed to violence, seeing their caregiver physically abused, a mom or a dad abused by another adult, has really significant emotional consequences. that is indeed abuse.”

Now is a particularly risky time for children, as they don’t have as much contact with caring adults outside their households.

“It’s definitely reinforced how valuable all the caring adults are who are in children’s lives,” Gilmore-Robinson said. “The very fact that they don’t have the same access and we have lower reporting rates, that just reinforces how much of an important part of that safety net are.”

Still, reports are still coming in, and Gilmore-Robinson asked that community members trust their instincts.

“As community members, you don’t have to be one hundred percent sure. You should just listen to your gut and report those concerns,” either to law enforcement or the Oregon DHS. Those agencies will investigate and intervene if necessary.

“If you suspect there’s abuse, if they’ve changed their behavior, if you’ve seen a lot of discord in the home, then the best thing for them to do is make a report.”

If you believe a child in your life is being abused, call the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-503-7233.

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