Calls to state s child abuse hotline drop 10% during pandemic
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS – The frequency of calls to Indiana s child abuse and neglect hotline fell by more than 10% last year compared to the previous two years, and an expert said that may reflect the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indiana Department of Child Services hotline received on average about 600 calls each business day in 2020, the agency said, compared with about 700 calls in 2018 and 2019.
“A lot of times our report sources are people who see the kids every day, who notice a behavior change or who see a bruise that wasn t there yesterday,” DCS family case manager supervisor Lacy Mullenberg told The Indianapolis Star. “And then during the pandemic, we saw less kids in school, they weren t having in-person doctor visits, they weren t having in-person therapeutic visits.
Calls to state s child abuse hotline drop 10% during pandemic | Indiana
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The Indiana Department of Child Services Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline was remote long before the pandemic forced some Hoosiers into working from home.
Across the state, 117 intake specialists work 24/7 to field calls from people reporting concerns that abuse or neglect may be taking place. While they re always busy âIndiana law requires every adult with suspicions of abuse or neglect to report â they ve seen a concerning drop-off in reports since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the state last spring.
Last year, the hotline handled more than 216,000 reports of child abuse or neglect, taking on average about 600 calls each business day, according to DCS. That represents a drop of over 26,000 compared to both 2018 and 2019, when intake specialists were taking about 700 calls every weekday. (The number of reports was almost level between 2018-19, with over 242,000 each year.)
The Indiana Department of Child Services Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline was remote long before the pandemic forced some Hoosiers into working from home.
Across the state, 117 intake specialists work 24/7 to field calls from people reporting concerns that abuse or neglect may be taking place. While they re always busy Indiana law requires every adult with suspicions of abuse or neglect to report they ve seen a concerning drop-off in reports since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the state last spring.
Last year, the hotline handled more than 216,000 reports of child abuse or neglect, taking on average about 600 calls each business day, according to DCS. That represents a drop of over 26,000 compared to both 2018 and 2019, when intake specialists were taking about 700 calls every weekday. (The number of reports was almost level between 2018-19, with over 242,000 each year.)
Calls to Indiana child abuse hotline down during pandemic
April 9, 2021
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The frequency of calls to Indiana s child abuse and neglect hotline fell by more than 10% last year compared to the previous two years, and an expert said that may reflect the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indiana Department of Child Services hotline received on average about 600 calls each business day in 2020, the agency said, compared with about 700 calls on average every business day in 2018 and 2019.
“A lot of times our report sources are people who see the kids every day, who notice a behavior change or who see a bruise that wasn’t there yesterday,” DCS family case manager supervisor Lacy Mullenberg told The Indianapolis Star. “And then during the pandemic, we saw less kids in school, they weren’t having in-person doctor visits, they weren’t having in-person therapeutic visits.
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