Research: Child abuse rises in recession

Research: Child abuse rises in recession

Philippine News : Saturday, October 01 2011

Researchers found that an increase of child abuse, mostly in infants, may be linked with the recent recession and raises new concerns about the impact of the nation’s economic problems. The study released online on September 19, 2011 in Pediatrics. Lead author, Dr Rachel Berger of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburg geographically centered on 74 counties in 4 states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky and Washington.

It is a study of 422 children from mostly lower-income families, known to face greater risks for being abused. Dr. Berger said the results confirmed anecdotal reports from pediatricians who have seen increasing numbers of shaken baby cases and other forms of brain-injuring abuse.

Dr. Berger decided to study this type of injury, known as abusive head trauma, after noticing an increase at her own hospital from late 2007 through June 2009. Her hospital averaged 30 cases per year during those recession years versus 17 yearly prior to 2007.

They found that from 2004 to 2009, more than 400 children, whose average age was 9 months, were taken to hospitals and diagnosed with abused head trauma. In the U.S., according to official statistics nearly 2,000 toddlers are hospitalized with abusive trauma every year. But according to Dr Berger, the government statistics do not reflect what is actually happening due to the very limited definition of abuse.

She further states in her study that the main perpetrators of such abuse seemed to be fathers and other male caretakers (i.e. boyfriends). The government cuts on funding on children’s programs such as daycare also contribute to the increase of violence against children.

The number of cases in the counties studied increased sharply, rising from about 9 cases per 100,000 children in pre-recession years, to almost 15 per 100,000 kids during the recession years—a 65% increase. Children studied were younger than 5 years old and most were infants. Most suffered brain damage and 69 children died.

Unemployment rates in the 74 counties rose during the 5 year study. The proportion of children on Medicaid in those counties also increased from 77% to 83%. Combine the stress of raising a young child with wage cuts or lost jobs and you get “a sort of toxic brew in terms of thinking about possible physical violence,” said Mark Rank, a social welfare professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

Along with U.S. Census Data released last week indicating that a record 46 million Americans are poor, the study shows that “as poverty goes up and economic stagnation continues….there are really human costs involved,” Professor Rank said.

Peter Sherman, pediatrician and director of the residency program in social pediatrics, at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, states “if people were stressed out from parenting, they were at a high risk of becoming abusive.” He said that stress and poverty were both risk factors for child abuse, and that clinicians needed to monitor risks by looking at stresses on parents.

Stiff penalties and criminal sanctions are in place for child abuse. In California, Penal Code, Section 273(d) defines child abuse as the “willful infliction of a cruel or inhuman corporal punishment or any injury that results in a traumatic condition.

In order to obtain a conviction, the prosecutor must prove willfulness (as long as you intend the act, the result is irrelevant); cruel or inhuman punishment (lacking mercy, kindness or tenderness) and traumatic condition (a serious injury). There really is no clear cut definition of what qualifies child abuse—it is factually driven and a case by case analysis is critical.

Prior acts of child abuse or domestic violence may also be used against you in court. In child abuse cases and the strong public policy for protection of children, the exclusion of prior criminal or bad acts does not apply.

Not only are prior acts of corporal injury or punishment on a child admissible against you in a child abuse prosecution, it is not required that the prior acts resulted in a criminal conviction. The prior acts do not have to involve the same victim or similarities to your pending case. The fact that you were previously accused of abusing a child is sufficient.

While we typically think of domestic violence occurring between spouses or boy/girlfriends, domestic violence laws are more inclusive. Acts of domestic violence also include abusive acts against your child, any child who “regularly resides” with you, and any child who formerly “regularly resided” with you.

Under these stressful times, the answer is not to take it out on your children. As I strongly recommend to my clients who are facing criminal charges of domestic violence against their spouses—step out of the room, the house, and take a few moments to breath. By this simple act, you are preventing serious injuries to your love ones and criminal prosecution.