Concerns Over Child Abuse During The Pandemic

WAAY 31's Sydney Martin was live outside the Advocacy Center this evening after learning about the impacts of the pandemic and cases being reported.

And cases being reported so far.

National children's advocacy center executive director chris newlin told me they are monitoring child abuses cases closely.

He said with some parents only having days to decide between virtual and in-person school there isn't one right answer for all families.

Chris newlin, executive director national children's advocacy center "i think it's a really individual decision.

I think it's something parents have to look at their unique situation and really have discussions in their house about what they think is the best option."

Chris newlin the executive director of the national children's advocacy center told me students not being in school does raise some concerns for him about child abuse going unreported.

"we absolutely saw a decrease in reports from the time we shut down the schools until the end of the school period we definately saw a significant decline somewhere around 50 percent."

Newlin said after the state started to re-open...the cases of abuse being reported started to go up.

"the increase of reports all came as we started to loosen up restrictions, so it's correlational that it happened at the same time but did it cause increase reporting?

I just don't know, but i think you have to think that's a possibility."

He explained every family needs to consider the home environment when deciding if virtual school is the right choice.

"there are many considerations that go into it.

Who's in the home?

The health status of individuals in the homes, the current status of this issue.

And it's a very difficult situation for parents."

And said he understand it's not an easy decision, but an important one for families to make "the other thing that all parents are struggling with is just the natural struggle of having a job and having kids especially if the kids are not able to be in school."

Newlin told me right now he is asking for any one in the community who thinks something might not be okay with a child to say something-- because some kids being out of school for months might not have been able to report abuse.

Live in huntsville sm waay 31 news.