Like many mothers, my heart broke as I watched the video footage of a grown man pummeling two young children at the Fordham Road train station in the Bronx on January 22. The video footage is enraging and their screams continue to haunt me.

Child Abuse is a public health crisis. In addition, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) regards child abuse and maltreatment as economic burdens to society due to the extremely high hospitalization and treatment costs they generate (estimated at $585 billion in 2008). According to the CDC, at least one in seven children has experienced child abuse and/or neglect, and this is likely an underestimate. In 2018, nearly 1,770 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States. Here are some more troubling statistics:

• Approximately five children die from child abuse every day.
• 2.9 million cases of child abuse are reported every day.
• In 2012, 82.2 percent of child abusers were between the ages of 18 and 44.
• Boys and girls are victims of child abuse at almost the same rate.
• 3 out of 4 children who die from child abuse or neglect are aged 3 or younger.

Citywide, the Bronx has the highest number of abuse/neglect investigations. In 2019, ACS reported the number of Bronx child abuse investigations at 15,926, compared to Brooklyn at 13,978, Queens at 11,057, Manhattan at 7,075 and Staten Island at 4,023. It is no coincidence that the Bronx has the highest neighborhood poverty rates in the nation according to the latest available (2010) census data, at 26.2 percent. Meanwhile, the borough’s median, pre-pandemic household income, according to the U.S. Census Bureau was estimated at $40,088.00 (2015-2019). It is likely much lower since COVID-19 hit.

Poverty, inadequate housing and education, food insecurity, access to quality healthcare, and simply trying to survive in the midst of it all can trigger abuse, whether it’s spousal, or the abuse of children. While it can never be considered an excuse or justification, the effects of a person’s socio-economic status are directly related to cases of child maltreatment and neglect and are worth investigating.

Mental health is a public health crisis that not only affects children, but the parents and caregivers of children. Caring for children requires supernatural patience.  It’s hard not to react when our children test limits and push boundaries. The fact is that children are children, behaving as children do. This is not to justify disobedience, but it’s important for parents and caregivers to remember. I say this because I often forget that young children are naturally selfish creatures, who haven’t yet fully developed the skills that allow them to recognize their emotions and deal with them appropriately.

Parents and caregivers suffering from emotional, physical or mental health issues, who are tasked with the overwhelming responsibility of child-care, cannot provide appropriate care for their children if their own physical, social, emotional or mental health is compromised.

High poverty districts, like the 15^th congressional district in the South Bronx, represent the poorest neighborhoods in the nation and have been disproportionally impacted by COVID 19. Black and Hispanic communities face barriers when it comes to adequate health insurance and accessing mental health care. They often face racism and other biases, and discrimination in treatment settings. Within their communities, people of color also face higher levels of stigma for mental health challenges, which prevents them from seeking treatment.

Serendipitously, the recording of the Fordham Road incident triggered community advocacy for the defenseless children who could not speak for themselves, and drew public attention to a private crisis. Unfortunately, in most child abuse cases, there are no recordings or reliable witnesses. The children in this case received help, but for every case that is reported, there are thousands that go unreported.

Teachers, who are usually the first to report cases of abuse, and only when they notice bruises or signs of hunger or maltreatment at home, have not been physically present with the children, due to remote learning. According to a June 9, 2020 article in the The New York Times, reports of child abuse were down 51 percent at the time, which was concerning to authorities.

Because of the ongoing economic and social hardships, and other COVID-related stress placed on families, abuse in tense households is likely to increase. The abuse is also most likely to continue or become more aggressive, since the usual intervention and follow-up is not happening as efficiently as it did pre-COVID-19, and, if the child or children are being abused during remote learning, such abuse can be difficult to document.

Child abuse and neglect, which can be tied to other types of violence, are public health problems that should be treated like any other physical illness or disease which can have adverse, long-term impacts on the health and well-being of our most vulnerable population living in the most vulnerable communities in this city.

Bronx families know the numbers. They have read the devastating statistics that doom our children to lives of poverty and inadequacy. Bronx families do not need more dismal statistics reporting what is already known nationwide. They need advocacy and support, which starts with knowing where to look. Listed below are some resources that can be accessed to help support abused and neglected children in The Bronx.

https://access.nyc.gov/programs/health-insurance-assistance/

https://www.vnsny.org/how-we-can-help/community-programs/community-mental-health-services/

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/dc/hunts-point-resource-guide.pdf

www.schools.nyc.gov

Renée Barrett is a freelance writer and educator living in The Bronx. She holds Master’s degrees in childhood education and urban administration.