Child protection leaders are seeking the public’s help in detecting child abuse while the COVID-19 shutdowns keep children away from the adults who normally step in to help.
A joint notice from Massachusetts Children’s Alliance Executive Director Thomas King, Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance Executive Director Liam Lowney and Children’s League of Massachusetts Executive Director Tammy Mello, states that reports of child abuse have plummeted, even as family stress factors like job insecurity, food insecurity and illness increased in March and April.
Anyone having contact with children is urged to look for these signs: bruises, marks or injuries; signs of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, or family dysfunction; changes in mood, distress or outcries of abuse; and changes in participation, interaction and communication.
If you suspect abuse, notify the Department of Children and Families (DCF) by calling the DCF Child-At-Risk Hotline at 800-792-5200. Reports can be anonymous if necessary.
“A report does not automatically trigger a child being removed from a home or a parent being in trouble,” the notice reads. “The most common outcome is supplying services and supports to families that need them.”
Massachusetts has a comprehensive system of response to child abuse allegations through the state’s 12 children’s advocacy centers — including one in Greenfield, which serves Franklin County and the North Quabbin region. According to the notice, DCF screens reports to see what — if any — intervention or support services a child and family might need.
“We are in a time like no other, with demands being made on everyone for our mutual safety,” the notice reads. “Watch the children around you as if they were your own.”