Montgomery ranks high for child abuse and neglect

Child abuse happens in the shadows and is largely unreported. Data from the 2018 Prevent Child Abuse Iowa reported Montgomery County’s current child population was 2,298. Of that, 17 percent of those children live in poverty and 33 percent of children under the age of 5 were reported as abused.

“Montgomery County was ranked fourth in the state for the highest per capita rates of all forms of child abuse,” said Shawnna Silvius, President of the Montgomery County Family Success Network.

The type of abuse includes: 65 percent cases focused on denial of critical care and neglect; 9 percent are physical abuse; 9 percent are drug affected child; 5 percent are sexual abuse; and 11 percent are drug affected child. Other types of abuse include being allowed access to a registered sex offender and exposure to dangerous substances.

“Keep in mind, the number of reported cases is estimated very much below the anticipated number of actual abuses that are occurring. During this COVID-19 pandemic, with so many children home instead of being in school or daycare and so many parents being home from the inability to remain in their workplaces and high levels of stressors, the number of abuse cases occurring is likely staggering,” Silvius said.

She continued to say, it is important for caregivers and the larger community to be the eyes and ears for safety of all children.

“The most common type of abuse reported in Montgomery County is denial of critical care and neglect. You might ask, how can the community create a stronger and more effective safety net to support families and protect children? This is why the FSN is working with many area agencies, our schools, law enforcement, our cities and county to build a strengthening families and healthy community initiative that will ultimately end child abuse,” Silvius said.

In fact, Iowa Ombudsman Kristie Hirschman is calling upon the public to stay on guard against child abuse, citing numbers from the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) that abuse allegations have fallen sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted leaders to close schools.

Child-abuse reports to DHS fell from 5,033 in February to 4,209 in March, a drop of more than 16 percent. Most schools in Iowa closed in mid-March. This March’s numbers were also well below those of March 2019, when 4,813 reports were made. States all across the country are reporting even sharper decreases in April. Thus far in Iowa this April, less than half as many child-abuse reports were made when compared to the same period in 2019.

Child advocates believe the lower numbers are due to the abrupt break in relations between students and mandatory reporters such as teachers, school nurses and daycare workers.

In other words, it is unlikely that physical and psychological mistreatment of children is disappearing; instead, it is believed that some child abuse is simply going unnoticed. Advocates fear that social distancing, recommended by communicable disease experts for legitimate health reasons, could make detection of child abuse even more difficult.

“Please do not let social distancing be an excuse to engage in social isolation,” Hirschman urged. “Each and every one of us needs to be vigilant and supportive of our neighbors, friends and families. We owe that to Iowa’s children.”

The Ombudsman’s recent public report on the starvation death of 16-year-old Natalie Finn and its pending report on the death of 16-year-old Sabrina Ray highlight the importance of a watchful community to keep kids safe, Hirschman said. DHS and the Ombudsman encourage anyone who believes a child is in immediate danger to call 911. People who suspect child abuse or dependent adult abuse can call DHS’ abuse hotline 24 hours a day at (800) 362-2178.

April is also National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Hirschman recently joined 10 children’s ombudsmen from around the United States in a statement asking for the public’s help to safeguard children and to keep parents positively engaged during the COVID-19 crisis.

Project Harmony is a nationally recognized agency with a collaborative, child-focused approach working to ensure children are not further victimized by the systems intended to protect them. They bring together multiple agencies – law enforcement and justice services, educational institutions, multiple agencies and passionate community volunteers - working in these systems to coordinate and communicate most effectively to tackle child abuse as a team. Project Harmony provides services in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area as well as 16 counties in western Iowa, including Montgomery County.

Gene Klein, executive director of Project Harmony said they are committed to ending the cycle of abuse and neglect in our local regional area and beyond. Klein said their usual annual caseload is roughly 4,500 children and their families a year. He added the majority of the cases they see are sexual abuse of children. It is estimated one in 10 children will be sexually violated before they turn 18.

“Project Harmony offers response and prevention services from case coordination to children and family services mostly focused on investigative nature, resources and a plethora of training. The Project Harmony Training Institute was developed in 2007 with the goal of ending the cycle of child abuse and neglect through education designed to increase awareness and promote the understanding of the impact of abuse and neglect. In 2018, the Omaha Chamber of Commerce recognized Project Harmony with the Business Excellence Award for innovation in training,” commented Klein.

Klein added there is a correlation to poverty as it relates to limited knowledge of services and limited access to resources, but he noted child abuse, sexual abuse and neglect transcends all socio-economic classes. Thus, it is not a poverty-only issue.

“There is a strong connection between childhood emotional, physical and sexual abuse and neglect to adults with a variety of behavioral and addictive behaviors. If untreated, individuals have a greater likelihood to turn to alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, excessive work or exercise, smoking, pornography sexual promiscuity or extra-curricular relationships and more as ways of coping,” Silvius said.

In addition to Project Harmony, there are several child abuse prevention programs available, Silvius said, such as the Positive Family Program and Nest program, an incentive-based parent education program that allows parents to earn points by attending educational classes and other activities that promote healthy outcomes for babies. The points can be used for basic necessary and safety items that every family need for their infants.

Silvius said the FSN seeks to continue to inform and collaborate with community leaders, businesses, educators, health and mental health professionals, educators, law enforcement and other agencies to further support advocacy, outreach and positive programming to support our children and families in Montgomery County.

“As Project Harmony states, ‘Working together, we can help create neighborhoods, communities, and a world in which every child can thrive,’” she said.

Report CHILD ABUSE - If you suspect a child under the age of 18 is being abused or neglected and if you believe the child is in imminent danger, please call 911 immediately. If you suspect abuse, please call the Abuse Hotline at 1-800-362-2178, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will remain anonymous however you will need to be ready to provide identifying information and the whereabouts of the child. Everyone has a stake in ending child abuse and sexual abuse. Together we can end child abuse. You are a part of the solution.

Members of the Montgomery Co Family Success Network Executive Committee include Shawnna Silvius, Robina Courtney, Pat Breendez, Lori Mitchell