CHSU Discovery

Adverse childhood experiences scores ( have long been identified as indicators for adverse health outcomes in adulthood. 1 According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, pediatric victimization rates have fallen from 8.9 in 2019 to 8.4 per 1,000 children in 2020. 2 A study comparing child maltreatment rates from 2019 and 2020 in Indiana acknowledges the potential for under reporting due to the stay at home orders. 3 Numerous emergency room providers have shared that child abuse rates increase during stressful times within families; thus, we have based our research on the trends in child abuse rates surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic. 4 California data indicates that almost 25,000 fewer reports were made in 2020 versus 2019, with the largest reporting decline from education personnel of 13,000 fewer reports.² Educators did approximately 20% of national child maltreatment reporting. Therefore, decreased student teacher interaction may affect the number of recognized cases.