Typically, Alexandria Child Protective Services receives more case reports in the spring than any other time of the year. However, this spring reports were down 40 percent from the average in recent years.
The drop in reports was likely the result of schools teaching virtually and other social distancing in response to the pandemic, according to Doug Brown, program manager for CPS in Alexandria. Reports from schools account for about 30 percent of cases reported to Alexandria CPS. Changes in everybody’s routines could account for the larger decrease in reports.
“We have seen less neighbor-to-neighbor contact,” Brown said. “And more families are focusing on their own needs and keeping their own family safe.”
Alexandria CPS also received fewer requests for child abuse prevention training over the spring and early summer.
Although the total number of cases reported early this summer was lower than past summers, July and August saw numbers more on par with previous years. Reports of abuse from police also make up a significant portion of cases reported to child protective services. Often reporting as much as school staff, if not a little more. Police have in part played a significant role in the increase of reports in July and August, but Brown also attributes this to people socializing more.
Fewer reports does not mean that abuse and neglect has stopped. It just shows that there are fewer people noticing the signs — something that Brown is worried about heading into the fall.
“As this pandemic drags on, people are going out more and interacting more,” Brown said. That could mean people are noticing more signs of abuse or neglect in their neighborhoods as they no longer focus on only their own safety.
However, for the coming school year, Brown suspects there will continue to be fewer reports than in a typical September as children may not form close personal connections with teachers or social workers in school, which is often how signs of abuse or neglect are spotted.
“We worry things are escalating, and we will be getting more reports from the police about cases that would have been picked up earlier,” Brown said. He also worries those reports will come from more dangerous and tense situations that could have been picked up in schools before escalating.
How to Help
The community can help by asking questions of parents when they see suspicious behaviors and circumstances involving their children, if it is safe to do so.
Signs of abuse include questionable injuries, ranging from bruises to broken bones or fading marks after absence from school. Parents may provide unconvincing explanations for the injury.
Signs of neglect include children who are too young staying at home alone or caring for other children, a child lacking appropriate clothes for the weather, and seeming hungry, tired or dirty. Signs of neglect may also come from parents who seem indifferent to their child’s needs, not able to care for their child, repeated failure to keep appointments, or the abuse of drugs or alcohol.
CPS states “no one symptom alone proves child abuse, but when they appear often, or in combination with other symptoms, adults need to report them.”
To file a report, call the local Alexandria hotline at 703-746-5800 or the Virginia hotline a 1-800-225-7096. Reports will be kept confidential. CPS will evaluate if the case meets requirements for intervention.
If signs of abuse and neglect are present but people aren’t sure if it is abuse, Brown recommends that people make reports.
“It’s not your job to figure out if it is abuse, that is our job,” Brown said. There may be an instance where a case is being built, and a tip that seems small will actually help determine if abuse or neglect is occurring.
We are still in the midst of a pandemic, and families are facing issues of providing income stability or food for their families they normally may not face. Brown emphasizes that CPS is there to serve the best interest of a child, and put families in touch with resources to help them through these tough times.
For more information about the signs of abuse and neglect visit the Alexandria CPS website. In Fairfax County, click here.
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