CORONAVIRUS
Adults stressed by coronavirus assaulted six children, Fort Worth hospital says
BY EMERSON CLARRIDGE|
ECLARRIDGE@STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Yesterday
Six children who had been severely physically abused were seen this week at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, and doctors believe the assaults were motivated by stress connected to the coronavirus, the hospital said.
The victims were under 4 years old.
Dr. Jamye Coffman, the medical director of the hospital’s Child Advocacy Resources and Evaluation team, said in a Cook news release that she believes parents’
coronavirus-related stress is tied to financial problems and families being isolated at home.
“People have so much increased stress right now,” Coffman said in the release. “They’ve got financial stress. Some people lost their job or worried about keeping their current job. They lost their income. You’ve got stress from being overcrowded. Everyone’s cooped up together. They feel like they can’t get away from each other. These stressors can lead to abuse.”
Teachers often report suspected child abuse but are not likely to see students in the coming weeks if schools remain closed.
Christi Thornhill, director of the
Trauma Program, the
CARE team and
Fostering Health at Cook Children’s, encouraged others to get involved.
“We worry about who will see abuse and report it right now,” Thornhill said in the release. “That’s where we need neighbors and other family members to pay attention. If you hear the child next door screaming, call for help. All of us need to be involved. As much as most of us don’t want to, we all must make it our business.”
Cook Children’s said it typically sees about six physical abuse cases each month.
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-252-5400. You may also file a report using the secure
TDFPS website. Reports made through the website take up to 24 hours to process.
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