Hospitals are reporting twice as many shaken babies this year than last year and deaths from domestic violence have increased dramatically in some areas.
Calls to domestic violence hotlines are up, and more than half the callers say their financial situation has changed in recent months and weeks.
These and other signals point to another disturbing effect of the recession: American homes are becoming more violent, and the faltering economic conditions could be partly to blame.
"Our children and families are suffering," said Alane Fagin, who runs a Long Island nonprofit group called Child Abuse Prevention Services. "With more layoffs expected, the threat of foreclosure looming over so many and our savings disappearing, even the best parents can feel stressed out and overwhelmed."
Because government data across the nation will not be available for months, the evidence suggesting an uptick in child abuse and domestic violence has been largely anecdotal.
However, the Child Welfare League of America, a coalition of public and private agencies, has been interviewing state child welfare agencies to see whether the numbers reflect a spike in violence.
"I think a lot of people are very concerned that we are in the early phases of this," said Linda Spears, vice president for policy and public affairs.
Eighty-eight percent of law enforcement officials asked across the country believe the economic crisis has led, or will lead, to more child abuse and neglect, according to top police officials from Los Angeles, Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia who recently held a news conference in Washington.
"Those of us on the front lines of law enforcement know that there is a correlation between economic distress and increased child abuse and neglect," said Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton. "We have to get in front of this problem now."
Just as the need appears to be growing, the recession is drying up funding to many agencies that fight domestic violence.
"This period of time may well be our perfect storm: a struggling economy, an increase in stress and a decrease in funding of programs," said Fagin, the Long Island child abuse prevention advocate.
However, not everyone is convinced domestic violence and child abuse are increasing.
"So far from what I've read there is no evidence that is the case," said Ben Tanzer of Chicago-based Prevent Child Abuse. "Certainly we're concerned that certain communities may be in crisis, but we just don't know."
Earlier in April, the U.S. Administration for Children's Services released its annual report on child abuse, which found the number of children being maltreated actually dropped in recent years, from 904,000 victims nationwide in 2006 to 794,000 the following year.
But those figures do not include the worst of the recession, which began in late 2007.
Mindy Perlmutter, spokeswoman for the Nassau County Coalition for Domestic Violence, cautioned that the economy is not the only factor in abuse cases.
"It doesn't cause someone to be abusive," she said. "There are many poor people who never abuse their loved ones. But if you're inclined to be abusive, if you are an abuser, losing a job and being home 24/7 may give you more opportunity."
Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County
The discussion of the economy being a possible factor in increased domestic and family violence brings up the question of how to help these victims and their abusers. If you need help, reach out. There are people who are trained to help in just these situations and the government is offering many incentives to out-of-work employees and hard-hit mortgage payers to help you make ends meet.
Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.
Economy may contribute to rise in family violence, Google News, April 11, 2009
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