Teachers filed at least 5,500 fewer child endangerment reports due to COVID-19: study

Adam Barnes
·3 min read

Story at a glance

  • A recent study suggests that at least between 5,500 and 8,000 cases of child endangerment or maltreatment were missed due to school closures and fewer enrollments.

  • Researchers said time children spend in school leads to more reports and investigations, noting that “investigated child maltreatment reports is 30% to 65% higher at the beginning and end of the school year compared to the beginning and end of summer when children are not regularly interacting with teachers.”

  • The team said their findings could instruct policymakers to include aspects of child welfare, including teacher training, length of school days, and the ramifications of the recent surge in, in their discussions.

Teachers filed at least 5,500 fewer reports of child maltreatment due to disruptions at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent study.

The study, published in the Journal of Human Resources, suggests that at least between 5,500 and 8,000 cases of child endangerment or maltreatment were missed due to school closures and fewer enrollments.

“To protect children, we need to better understand why so many are maltreated – 13% according to one study and 4 in 10 according to another,” Maria Fitzpatrick, professor of economics and public policy in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, said in a media release.

“Maltreatment has significant costs for society. Early detection is crucial because it leads to quicker intervention and that can result in providing a child with a safe, permanent home,” Fitzpatrick added.

The team used data from multiple sources, including the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System’s Child File and public-school calendar start and end dates

They found that educators play a critical role in detecting and reporting child maltreatment, defined as a failure to offer “a minimum degree of care in providing the child with any of the following: food, clothing, shelter, education or medical care when financially able to do so.”

Researchers said time children spend in school leads to more reports and investigations, noting that “investigated child maltreatment reports is 30% to 65% higher at the beginning and end of the school year compared to the beginning and end of summer when children are not regularly interacting with teachers,” according to the release.

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The team said their findings could instruct policymakers to include aspects of child welfare, including teacher training, length of school days, and the ramifications of the recent surge in homeschooling, in their discussions.

“We ask so much of our teachers and so many of them have performed with great courage and perseverance during the pandemic,” Fitzpatrick continued. “As a society, we owe more to them so that they can do a difficult part of their job with skill and take the steps necessary to protect the children they see every day.”

Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows around 2 million children received prevention services in 2020.

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