HARRISBURG, Pa. - Calls made to report suspected child abuse to Pennsylvania’s ChildLine continued to be significantly lower than usual in May. The drastic decrease in calls over the past two months resulted from closed schools amid the COVID-19 shutdown.
Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller said Thursday that ChildLine received more than 14,000 calls in May, which was 40 percent lower than last year. In April, the decline was 50 percent.
The drop began when Pennsylvania closed K-12 schools in response to the coronavirus. Miller says school employees usually play a big role in reporting abuse.
Jon Rubin, Deputy Secretary for the Office of Children, Youth, and Families, said it’s also been more difficult to investigate reports because of social distancing, but the department and its staff have been using alternatives like video calls.
“For the reports that were new, that we’re unable to assess without going to the home, or situations where we knew a family and felt like a home visit was appropriate, those efforts continued,” said Rubin.
Rubin says it’s important to remember a lower number of calls doesn’t mean fewer instances of child abuse are happening. He says the department will reach out to schools and camps that are open this summer to raise awareness.
To report suspected child abuse, call ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.