Helping abused and neglected children now

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Rising levels of trauma in the classroom / Rising levels of child abuse and neglect / The impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on trauma, child abuse and neglect / The struggles teachers face trying to help and teach traumatized children during a pandemic / What experts say children need / What you can do to help your child / What the State of Oklahoma and others are doing to help / Community resources / (TULSA, Okla.) The phrase “new normal” has become a catchall term describing life during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many school-age children this new normal means social distancing in the classroom, quarantining when necessary or transitioning to virtual learning. For others, particularly those in economically disadvantaged homes, that could mean forgoing school altogether to take care of other siblings while mom or dad, or sometimes both, works. Child development specialist, educator and consultant Dr. Barbara Sorrels has been working with traumatized children since she was just 14 years old. “My daughter called me one day,” Sorrels said. “She was out on her lunch break and she saw a child, probably five or six years of age, walking alongside one of the busiest streets in Tulsa, holding the hand of a toddler. You know, we can only imagine what that's about. You know, probably a child left at home by themselves. Mom has to work. Dad has to work to put food on the table. I have no one to watch my children.” Experts like Sorrels have been calling attention to the dark side of the education system’s “normal”, long before our pandemic-battered education system’s “new normal” existed. She told VNN trauma from abuse and neglect has been on the rise in the classroom for decades, and teachers simply don’t have the resources to deal with it. “They often don't have the spaces that they need to be able to help those children,” Sorrels said. “Provide what they need in ways that are truly developmentally appropriate versus sending them to the office. Putting them in a small room that used to be a closet, in terms of, you know, throw your temper tantrum. It’s just one more place to go in and have a meltdown versus doing something that is truly an appropriate intervention, to truly help that child learn some skills in terms of how to self-regulate.” Sorrels said brain development is hindered when children are dealing with abuse and neglect. “We know that rates of child abuse are going up and up,” Sorrels said. “But I also think there's other factors that in a sense are unraveling kids. I think, preoccupied parents, parents who walk around with the screen 24/7. Children who come home from school and from the time they get home to the time they go to bed, they're on a screen. On the weekends on a screen. Relational poverty.” Statistics from Oklahoma Human Services affirm Sorrels determination that cases of both abuse and neglect have been on the rise, a majority of which are the latter. Substantiated claims have nearly doubled compared to numbers from ten years ago. Nearly 16,000 Oklahoma children were abused or neglected last year. About 68 percent were preschool and school-aged children. Has the pandemic been driving an additional increase in cases? Current data indicates no. “We did see a dip in the number of referrals to our abuse neglect hotline by about 40 percent in April, which we attribute largely to kids being out of school and away from their teachers,” DHS spokesperson Casey White said. “And also, out of their usual child care programs. And then probably also to a smaller degree that children were probably not being seen by doctors or if they were seen, it was only virtual visits during that time. But then by summer, our call volume really returned to normal.” On a per month average, White said, calls and substantiated reports have seen only a small increase compared to the same time last year. But you may wonder, what about the possibility of a more significant uptick in neglect and abuse going unnoticed due to social distancing? It’s a concern for numerous agencies. White said the old chain of command is still in place, and they can’t just start knocking on random doors to make sure everything is okay. “DHS does not have the statutory authority to investigate cases of abuse and neglect outside of that child abuse, neglect referral that we receive to our hotline,” White said. “So that's one reason that it's so important that we and we really ask that if you see something, say something.” Districts like Tulsa Public Schools said they are taking extra steps to keep a closer eye on the welfare of children during these trying times, like live zoom sessions regarding mandatory reporting and distance learning considerations and specific guidance to school leaders on what to watch for in a distance learning setting. While current abuse and neglect claims don’t appear to be out of the ordinary, the level of stress families are experiencing is another story. “Especially if I'm working in those areas of high need, high crime,” Sorrels said. “We know that those families in particular are struggling and they may be struggling just to put food on the table. It's not that they don't love their children.” Sherie Trice with OSDH Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention told us the decisions family are being forced to make regarding education have also been a large pandemic-related stress trigger. “Not being able to get out of the house,” Trice said. “And, you know, my child my daughter has five children. And virtual at home learning. I don't think we've figured out yet how to optimize that and feel comfortable with just virtual learning or even sending your children back. I mean, they're such an unknown. I would just say, that’s my feeling personally.” On the in-person learning side, the Centers for Disease Control has provided a lot of guidance as to how staff and students should socially distance in times of in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for schools include the use of masks, physical barriers such as sneeze guards and flexible screens, and visual guides to ensure staff and students remain at least six feet apart from each other as much as possible. But the risk of contracting COVID-19 in that type of environment has yet to be determined. Experts say a positive relationship between student and teacher is the key to learning, and it could be the only positive relationship a child has. Now teachers are tasked with helping children heal from trauma and strengthening positive relationships with their students in order to effectively teach them, while putting even more physical distance between everyone in the classroom- often times on their own dollar. “I had a conversation with a teacher last week,” Sorrels said. “Teaches kindergarten. They have to social distance. But she only has six tables and 18 kids. So, she ended up out of her own pocket going out to spend her own money to buy lap desks because there is not money to accommodate some of the special accommodations that teachers are having to make. But that's always been the case.” “You know, it'd be like expecting our doctors and nurses to supply their own PPE. We would never expect that of them. But yet teachers do that all the time.” Teachers must solve the equation of how to be socially distant without being relationally distant, particularly important whilst dealing with traumatized kids. This problem is compounded by the fact that students have become more relationally distant from teachers for years, due to increasing class sizes. The State of Oklahoma is starting to address the magnitude of trauma in the classroom. The Oklahoma State Department of Education has held statewide summits on trauma for the last three years, including training for teachers who are typically the first to encounter trauma in kids. Oklahoma Human Services shows out of the 15,809 substantiated child abuse and neglect cases they had in 2019, 1,417 originated at school. Despite this focus, little headway has been made on the classroom workload for teachers, set curriculums, or statewide testing mandates. Statewide standardized tests were suspended last year due to the pandemic. The jury on if they will be suspended again this year is still out. Sorrels told VNN there are things more important than academics when it comes to child development, at school and at home, like helping children make connections through different experiences and simply feeling safe. “I think one of the greatest needs right now is just for your children to feel safe,” Sorrels said. “The brain cannot develop in healthy ways. Children can't learn when they don't feel safe.” “If all you can do is keep your child safe and help them to create a sense of felt safety. Hunker down as a family. Even if all you’re eating is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, sit down for dinner together or whatever meal of the day that you are together. Sit down together and just read to your child.” There are other serious obstacles preventing some children from feeling safe and actually being safe, like mental illness and/or drug addiction at home. White told VNN DHS is working with Governor Kevin Stitt and the CARES Forward Team to launch Community HOPE Centers across the state to help strengthen families, and overcome those obstacles. We’re told the centers will have mental health professionals, Oklahoma DHS staff, virtual learning tools, meals and snacks, a weekend backpack program and other programs. She said they are also working on developing strong community networks and “Service-First” partners, like a recent partnership in Kingfisher in which Frontline Ministries offered them 24-hour access to a house where they can provide services to families. Read more about that partnership here: http://www.okdhs.org/library/news/rel/Pages/comm08242020.aspx Sorrels told VNN partnerships with community leaders are going to be paramount to helping families during these especially trying times.

“Communities, faith communities need to come together to find those children in their congregations that are being left home alone,” Sorrels said. “I know that some churches are rallying to the cause and providing some assistance for children during the day who have parents who need to work.” She said she’s heard stories of teachers in North Tulsa reading to children in their driveways so they don’t get left behind. Cities are coming up with other ways to keep children safe, too. Like Tulsa Parks School Support Camps, where Tulsa first through sixth graders are able to study safely in socially distanced “pods”, so they’re not left at home alone when parents have to go to work. Trice reminds people to simply be there for each other. “Such as a tantrumming child in public,” Trice said. “Instead of giving the parents the stink eye, perhaps, you know, offering encouraging words or offering a hand if needed. Providing support to a family that is stressed, you know, anybody these days could drop off a meal without having direct contact with the family.” Reporting suspected child abuse or neglect is mandatory by law in Oklahoma. For information on how to report suspected child abuse or neglect in your state, click here: https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspList&rolType=custom&rs_id=5 Professional crisis counselors are also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages by calling or texting the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. The Oklahoma Media Center is a collaborative of 18 Oklahoma newsrooms that includes print, broadcast and digital partners. The OMC’s first project is Changing Course: Education & COVID. This story is part of that effort.