The National Children’s Alliance wanted to capture the numbers now, to determine the extent of the decline in child abuse reports. In Maryland, children’s advocacy centers reported a 25 percent drop, and in Virginia, a 21 percent drop. ADADYear after year, more than two-thirds of child abuse cases are reported by teachers and other community professionals. In July, calls, texts and chats to the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline were up 27 percent compared with July 2019. Earlier in the pandemic, experts anticipated a major spike in child abuse reports as schools planned to reopen in the fall.

Source: Washington Post August 19, 2020 22:07 UTC