In a disturbing trend that some are attributing to the economy, hospitals across the country are seeing a startling rise in both child abuse and child neglect cases. A March poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research showed that 88% of sheriffs, district attorneys and chiefs of police nationwide expect to see an increase in child maltreatment based on similar rises during past recessions (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090416/ts_nm/us_usa_childabuse). Child abuse cases in OH, a state hit particularly hard by the recent recession, topped 100,000 for the first time in 2007 and have continued to rise. States such as Massachusetts and Illinois have also noted this trend.

 

With reduced funding and a declining tax base, many hospitals and state agencies are facing budget cuts and may lack the personnel and resources to keep pace with the rising number of new cases.