National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month are both in April, but these issues are currently shadowed by the coronavirus crisis.
Promotional fundraisers and annual campaign kickoff events to shed light on the causes have either been cancelled, postponed or moved to a virtual platform because of COVID-19.
Some local advocacy leaders have also expressed concerns that child abuse and sex abuse might spike during the pandemic and go unreported once it’s over.
“We have a lot of concerns because the kids are not watched as closely as before in school and social settings where potential abuse and neglect can be identified,” said Rosemary Conder, director of the Court Appointed Special Advocate of Ohio Valley. “There’s a lot of factors there that could potentiate (that).”
Some of these factors are stress and fear that stems from the economic woes of COVID-19.
“People are under a lot of pressure,” she said. “They are not used to being home with the kids all day. Fear of the virus, fear of unemployment, fear of the future and those stresses with having children who can’t get out and do what they normally do” is a recipe that can cause a nonviolent parent to change.
According to a report from the Kentucky CASA Network Inc. that was filed April 6, Daviess County has 131 substantiated child abuse cases from January through March. The number of reported cases is usually three times that amount in Daviess County, Conder said.
“We’re one of the higher counties in the state,” Conder said.
Megan Gross, community engagement coordinator at New Beginnings Sexual Assault Support Services, reported a similar concern.
She said the organization is fearful that sexual assault will go unreported during this time because victims might be afraid to go to the hospital.
“I know that we haven’t been getting as many calls to go to the hospital on sexual assault cases,” Gross said. “With all the precautions going, people might be even more scared to go to the hospital because of a chance of getting COVID-19.”
Sexual violence happens in the home, Gross said, and people are all stuck at home and stressed out now.
“We know it’s happening but we just don’t know when we’re going to see how those numbers play out,” she said.
People can help bring awareness to child abuse by chalking up their driveways and sidewalks with positive messages as part of the “Chalk-the-Walk 2020” initiative.
People can plant blue pinwheels on their lawns to spread awareness for child abuse. The pinwheels are symbolic of the children who have faced abuse.
For help and services call New Beginnings 24/7 at 270-926-7273 or 800.226.7273. To report child abuse at 1-877-597-2331.
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