Child abuse escalates during a recession

Abuse of children escalating to brutality, experts say
Sullivan, Lucas. Springfield News Sun, Oct. 4, 2009.

Infants and toddlers have become helpless casualties of an economic crisis, suffering severe physical abuse at levels that rival anything local experts have seen in at least 20 years.

Investigations of physical abuse in Montgomery County increased from 817 in 2006 to 1,033 the next year and landed at 981 in 2008, according to county data. The numbers are rising more this year.

Dayton Children’s Medical Center, which handles patients from throughout the Miami Valley, reported an increase from 195 cases of possible abuse between January and August in 2008, to 326 during the same time period this year.

Caseworkers in Clark County also reported an increase in physical abuse, and like their counterparts in Montgomery County, they’ve gone from working about 15 cases at a time, to about 20. But Warren and Greene counties reported no increases in physical abuse.

The increase in physical abuse is concerning, but more alarming, “it’s more severe,” said Carol Griesdorn, a 20-year veteran with Montgomery County Children Services.

County Coroner Dr. James Davis said the abuse has not led to more child fatalities, just more violent deaths. “There needs to be a more appropriate word to what we’re seeing because it’s not abuse,” he said. “What we’re seeing is outrageous brutality.”

The rise in severe abuse mirrors a local unemployment rate that ballooned from 6 percent in 2005 to nearly 12 percent last month, according to data from the state department of Job and Family Services.

Griesdorn and caseworkers from area counties said the recession has stripped social services, leaving parents or caregivers with short fuses without a support system.

That means more helpless children in dangerous situations, Griesdorn said.

Every case of child abuse is disturbing, but images of the injuries that led to 3-year-old Hope Cook’s death won’t leave forensic or homicide investigators anytime soon.

Cook was beaten to death by her half-sister Kimberly Cook, 23, in July 2008. A Montgomery County jury took 90 minutes Thursday, Oct. 1, to find Kimberly Cook guilty of all murder and abuse charges .

Hope Cook’s head injuries were so severe, county Coroner James Davis used phrases like “Oh my gosh,” and “horrific brutality,” when talking about the case.

“Let’s just say there is no doubt Hope Cook was murdered,” Davis said. “I would rather spare the public the extent of the brutality and only say it’s the worse case I’ve seen in my 29 years.”

While Hope Cook’s death is an extreme case, child advocates say the instances of especially harsh abuse appear to be increasing.

“The past year I have noted (that) many infants and younger toddlers presenting physical abuse concerns have more severe injuries,” said Dr. Lori Vavul-Roediger, director for the Department of Child Advocacy at Dayton Children’s Medical Center. “There seems to be a slightly increasing trend (of) abusive head injuries in infants and younger toddlers.”

It’s difficult for medical experts to pinpoint why more children are suffering severe head trauma , but when it comes to head injuries from abuse or accident, the indicators are palpable, Davis said.

“It’s very difficult to fracture a child’s skull,” he said. “Bones in young children are more rubbery and much harder to break than in adults.

“We can see a pattern in the fracture (like a cracked egg) and tell right away. When you see a solid bone that’s fractured like that — they’ve sustained a severe blow.”

While Vavul-Roediger acknowledged the possibility of a link between the increase in violence and the economy, she said that increased awareness among professionals about the signs of abuse also is leading to more reported cases.

But there is still a long way to go, she said.

“A major factor is that family violence is exceedingly common, and sadly, overlooked by our society,” she said. “We as a community and a nation often fail to protect our children and respond appropriately to tragic family violence.”

Disbelief is not uncommon as well, particularly when a parent is confronted with allegations of child abuse by a loved one.

Homicide detectives believe that was the case in the death of 2-year-old Malechi Wilson.

The toddler was beaten severely in early June in the home of his mother’s boyfriend. Police said the boy suffered for hours before his mother, Denise Stinson, called 911.

The coroner said Malechi was beaten so badly his internal organs were severed.

Stinson would not say why she waited so long to call police , and she refused to blame her boyfriend Mark Newberry, whom police said beat the boy.

Without Stinson’s cooperation, the investigation into Malechi’s death stalled ; and to date, no one has been charged for Wilson’s death.

“It’s hard for some parents to accept that their significant other could do something like this,” said Carol Griesdorn, a caseworker with Montgomery County Children’s Services. “But things start piling up on people and they snap. We are seeing more and more heat-of-the-moment incidents.”

At the same time, support services are being cut, said Nancy Mahoney, of Clark County Children’s Services. “We are laying off 33 people here, including me. Families are losing safety nets.”

Mahoney said her agency is relying more on the families they serve to work out solutions.

“We had a mom that had a substance abuse issue, and her children were left in a questionable supervision situation while the mother decided to go out and use drugs,” Mahoney said. “We sat down with (the family) and they were able to work out a system to adequately care for the children.”

It’s not the best solution, she said, “but the children are in a safer environment.”