Was child abuse underdetected during the COVID-19 lockdown?
Date
2020
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Archives de Pédiatrie
Abstract
We collected data on 31 children (under the age of 18) at risk of abuse who were admitted to the emergency department and pediatric wards at Amiens university hospital (Amiens, France) during the French lockdown period. There were 16 supervision orders and 10 interim care orders, and seven children were subsequently placed in foster care. The local Child Welfare Office (Cellule de Recueil des Informations Préoccupantes) recorded a significant year-on-year decrease in the number of supervision orders. During the months of March, April, and May 2020, schools (the main source of orders) prompted only 24 orders, compared with 136 for the same period in 2019. Similarly, the state prosecution service issued a total of 45 supervision orders for the March–May period in 2020, versus 136 for the same period in 2019. The national child abuse helpline submitted 39 requests for supervision orders to the Child Welfare Office during March–May 2020, versus 42 for the same period in 2019.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
International Resources, France, child abuse, pandemic, reporting, rates
Citation
Caron, F., Plancq, M. C., Tourneux, P., Gouron, R., & Klein, C. (2020). Was child abuse underdetected during the COVID-19 lockdown?. Archives de Pédiatrie, 27(7), 399.