Selected Podcast
Child Abuse Awareness
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and the UPMC CAC of Central Pa. Is preparing to open its third location to help those children and families experiencing abuse and navigating the healing process. Lynn Carson will discuss signs of abuse, types of abuse, provide the history of the CAC and how it serves the community.
Featuring:
Lynn Carson, Ph.D.
Lynn Carson, Ph.D. is Director of Operations with the UPMC Child Advocacy Center of Central PA. Transcription:
Bill Klaproth (Host): It's a difficult topic to talk about; children suspected of having been physically or sexually abused or neglected, or who have witnessed violence in their home or community. But it's good to talk about where families and children can go for help and support. So let's talk about UPMC's Child Advocacy Center of Central PA, or known as CAC with Dr. Lynn Carson, Director of Operations for the CAC at UPMC in Central PA.
This is Healthier You, a podcast from UPMC in Central PA. I'm Bill Klaproth. Dr. Carson, thank you so much for your time. It's great to talk with you on a really important topic that quite frankly, we probably don't talk about enough. So first off, can you give us the stats? Where are we at with child abuse? And how has the pandemic impacted this?
Lynn Carson, Ph.D. (Guest): Thank you so much for talking with me about this very important issue. So you may not know, but April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. And although child abuse happens all year long, this kind of gives us good opportunity to really bring it into focus and to think about what the state of child abuse is in this country. So, I want to say that it is a health crisis. We may not think of it that way, but statistics around child abuse have stayed pretty consistent over the last 50 years. And that is that one in four girls and one in six boys will have some kind of sexual abuse before the age of 18.
Statistics around physical abuse are a little bit harder to capture because state laws vary. But suffice it to say, that children experience abuse and neglect at alarming rates each and every day. I appreciate you talking about COVID and asking if that has impacted child abuse. And we honestly don't yet know the full impact of COVID-19 on child abuse.
When schools were not in session, children did not have access to the safety net the teachers provide by laying eyes on a child almost daily. Loss of jobs, concern over housing and illness placed additional stress on families. Anecdotally, we saw an increase not so much in the number of cases but in the severity of abuse and neglect, through the last two years, which is so important that we were open during that time. We were considered an essential service and, I'm glad that we were here because the kiddos, definitely needed be seen by us.
We also know that over the past two years, emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts have increased significantly during the pandemic. For adolescents 12 to 17. And there's been a 51% increase among girls and 4% increase among boys in suspected suicide attempts during this time. While that may or may not be related to abuse, it's definitely been an impact of COVID-19.
Host: Yeah, quite frankly, those numbers are alarming. It's easy to see the impact that the pandemic has had on child abuse. But luckily we have places like the CAC that is prepared and ready to help these kids. So can you talk to us about the Child Advocacy Center, what you do there and how this helps those that have been abused?
Dr. Carson: So a Child Advocacy Center is a place where a child and their family come. And the child can be interviewed by a forensic interviewer in a way that is neutral and non-leading and non-suggestive. The child has that safe space where they can disclose what happened to them. They also can get a medical exam while they're at the Child Advocacy Center. So we have doctors and nurse practitioners who are specialized in providing care to children who have been abused. They know what to look for. They know how to diagnose physical abuse, how to diagnose neglect.
And then we also have a very strong mental health team. And what they do is assess the child for their level of trauma. And either provide therapy right at our center or refer children to other mental health providers and that's been particularly important during the pandemic. Because again, so many children have been struggling with depression and then you place abuse alongside of it and their stress and trauma is exacerbated. So we provide this one place that all these services can happen.
Host: Which I imagine can be convenient and comforting. Dr. Carson, we've been talking about support for the child and the family. But what happens when the family is doing the abuse? What if it's a mom or a dad or a brother or a sister? What happens in those cases? Do you deal with the child individually then?
Dr. Carson: Yes. So we take referrals from Children and Youth or law enforcement. If the parent is the alleged offender, then we ask that somebody else bring the child to the center. But if the family is not suspected, then of course they would bring the child.
Host: Well, that is good information to know. So thank you for telling us about that. You were talking about providing medical exams, you were talking about mental health. You talked about an investigative team. It sounds like you have a multi-disciplinary approach to treating the individual. Can you tell us more about that?
Dr. Carson: Yes. Happy to. The Child Advocacy Center, I want to start by saying that we are not investigators. We are a neutral agency that just supports the child and provides services to the child and family. But there, we wouldn't be able to have better outcomes if it were not for the fact that these other agencies or this multidisciplinary team is involved. And that is law enforcement and Children and Youth. And, it also includes mental health. It includes medical providers. And they are the part that uses what we provide or what we obtain from the child then, to discuss and determine what the best steps are to keep the child safe in the future.
Host: And Dr. Carson, let me ask you this, based on what you have told us; what should an adult do if they suspect a child is being abused?
Dr. Carson: Well, good question, Bill. The first thing that we say is if you suspect something, if you feel that there's something isn't right, it's important to call Childline. That is the number, the one place that you can call and the allegation will be investigated by Children and Youth or law enforcement. The number is 1-800-932-0313, and it's available 24/7 to receive reports of suspected child abuse. And I think that's the important thing is sometimes people are hesitant to call because they just aren't sure. But that's really what the call is about. You don't have to be sure, you can just suspect.
And the professionals can take it from there. People, I think, need to give themselves credit that they can feel when something's not right. So please, if you do, if you suspect, call Childline.
Host: Yeah, that is really good advice. So if you suspect or feel something is not right, make sure you call Childline. That is the first step. And Dr. Carson, as we wrap up, is there anything else you would like to add? We would love to hear from your perspective, anything you want to add about child abuse, trying to raise awareness about this and maybe what you're trying to do with the CAC.
Dr. Carson: Well, thank you. So I think the last two points I would make is first, that the Child Advocacy Center really is the child's first step in hope and healing. Kids often tell us after their appointment, that a huge weight has been lifted from their shoulders. They're reassured that it's not their fault. They aren't the only ones who have experienced abuse. And that there's no shame associated with it.
The second thing that we tell kids and parents is that kids can heal and move forward. While it's not something they will ever put behind them in terms of thinking about it or it's not something they'll forget; with therapy, with supportive parents, they can move on and become survivors.
And we tell parents that one of the most important considerations for how a child responds and reacts and how they recover, is how their parents respond and react. So parents who are supportive, who stay grounded, who believe their child, provide an opportunity for the child to feel comfortable and to begin healing.
Host: That is really important. So parents who are supportive, who are grounded, who believe their child, provide an opportunity for the child to feel comfortable and to begin healing. Very well said, Dr. Carson, this is really important, everything we talked about today. Thank you so much for sharing all of this great information about the CAC with us. We appreciate it. Thanks again.
Dr. Carson: Thank you so much, Bill. Take care.
Host: And once again, that's Dr. Lynn Carson. And for more information, please visit UPMC.com/CentralPACAC, that's UPMC.com/CentralPACAC. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Healthier You, a podcast from UPMC. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Bill Klaproth (Host): It's a difficult topic to talk about; children suspected of having been physically or sexually abused or neglected, or who have witnessed violence in their home or community. But it's good to talk about where families and children can go for help and support. So let's talk about UPMC's Child Advocacy Center of Central PA, or known as CAC with Dr. Lynn Carson, Director of Operations for the CAC at UPMC in Central PA.
This is Healthier You, a podcast from UPMC in Central PA. I'm Bill Klaproth. Dr. Carson, thank you so much for your time. It's great to talk with you on a really important topic that quite frankly, we probably don't talk about enough. So first off, can you give us the stats? Where are we at with child abuse? And how has the pandemic impacted this?
Lynn Carson, Ph.D. (Guest): Thank you so much for talking with me about this very important issue. So you may not know, but April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. And although child abuse happens all year long, this kind of gives us good opportunity to really bring it into focus and to think about what the state of child abuse is in this country. So, I want to say that it is a health crisis. We may not think of it that way, but statistics around child abuse have stayed pretty consistent over the last 50 years. And that is that one in four girls and one in six boys will have some kind of sexual abuse before the age of 18.
Statistics around physical abuse are a little bit harder to capture because state laws vary. But suffice it to say, that children experience abuse and neglect at alarming rates each and every day. I appreciate you talking about COVID and asking if that has impacted child abuse. And we honestly don't yet know the full impact of COVID-19 on child abuse.
When schools were not in session, children did not have access to the safety net the teachers provide by laying eyes on a child almost daily. Loss of jobs, concern over housing and illness placed additional stress on families. Anecdotally, we saw an increase not so much in the number of cases but in the severity of abuse and neglect, through the last two years, which is so important that we were open during that time. We were considered an essential service and, I'm glad that we were here because the kiddos, definitely needed be seen by us.
We also know that over the past two years, emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts have increased significantly during the pandemic. For adolescents 12 to 17. And there's been a 51% increase among girls and 4% increase among boys in suspected suicide attempts during this time. While that may or may not be related to abuse, it's definitely been an impact of COVID-19.
Host: Yeah, quite frankly, those numbers are alarming. It's easy to see the impact that the pandemic has had on child abuse. But luckily we have places like the CAC that is prepared and ready to help these kids. So can you talk to us about the Child Advocacy Center, what you do there and how this helps those that have been abused?
Dr. Carson: So a Child Advocacy Center is a place where a child and their family come. And the child can be interviewed by a forensic interviewer in a way that is neutral and non-leading and non-suggestive. The child has that safe space where they can disclose what happened to them. They also can get a medical exam while they're at the Child Advocacy Center. So we have doctors and nurse practitioners who are specialized in providing care to children who have been abused. They know what to look for. They know how to diagnose physical abuse, how to diagnose neglect.
And then we also have a very strong mental health team. And what they do is assess the child for their level of trauma. And either provide therapy right at our center or refer children to other mental health providers and that's been particularly important during the pandemic. Because again, so many children have been struggling with depression and then you place abuse alongside of it and their stress and trauma is exacerbated. So we provide this one place that all these services can happen.
Host: Which I imagine can be convenient and comforting. Dr. Carson, we've been talking about support for the child and the family. But what happens when the family is doing the abuse? What if it's a mom or a dad or a brother or a sister? What happens in those cases? Do you deal with the child individually then?
Dr. Carson: Yes. So we take referrals from Children and Youth or law enforcement. If the parent is the alleged offender, then we ask that somebody else bring the child to the center. But if the family is not suspected, then of course they would bring the child.
Host: Well, that is good information to know. So thank you for telling us about that. You were talking about providing medical exams, you were talking about mental health. You talked about an investigative team. It sounds like you have a multi-disciplinary approach to treating the individual. Can you tell us more about that?
Dr. Carson: Yes. Happy to. The Child Advocacy Center, I want to start by saying that we are not investigators. We are a neutral agency that just supports the child and provides services to the child and family. But there, we wouldn't be able to have better outcomes if it were not for the fact that these other agencies or this multidisciplinary team is involved. And that is law enforcement and Children and Youth. And, it also includes mental health. It includes medical providers. And they are the part that uses what we provide or what we obtain from the child then, to discuss and determine what the best steps are to keep the child safe in the future.
Host: And Dr. Carson, let me ask you this, based on what you have told us; what should an adult do if they suspect a child is being abused?
Dr. Carson: Well, good question, Bill. The first thing that we say is if you suspect something, if you feel that there's something isn't right, it's important to call Childline. That is the number, the one place that you can call and the allegation will be investigated by Children and Youth or law enforcement. The number is 1-800-932-0313, and it's available 24/7 to receive reports of suspected child abuse. And I think that's the important thing is sometimes people are hesitant to call because they just aren't sure. But that's really what the call is about. You don't have to be sure, you can just suspect.
And the professionals can take it from there. People, I think, need to give themselves credit that they can feel when something's not right. So please, if you do, if you suspect, call Childline.
Host: Yeah, that is really good advice. So if you suspect or feel something is not right, make sure you call Childline. That is the first step. And Dr. Carson, as we wrap up, is there anything else you would like to add? We would love to hear from your perspective, anything you want to add about child abuse, trying to raise awareness about this and maybe what you're trying to do with the CAC.
Dr. Carson: Well, thank you. So I think the last two points I would make is first, that the Child Advocacy Center really is the child's first step in hope and healing. Kids often tell us after their appointment, that a huge weight has been lifted from their shoulders. They're reassured that it's not their fault. They aren't the only ones who have experienced abuse. And that there's no shame associated with it.
The second thing that we tell kids and parents is that kids can heal and move forward. While it's not something they will ever put behind them in terms of thinking about it or it's not something they'll forget; with therapy, with supportive parents, they can move on and become survivors.
And we tell parents that one of the most important considerations for how a child responds and reacts and how they recover, is how their parents respond and react. So parents who are supportive, who stay grounded, who believe their child, provide an opportunity for the child to feel comfortable and to begin healing.
Host: That is really important. So parents who are supportive, who are grounded, who believe their child, provide an opportunity for the child to feel comfortable and to begin healing. Very well said, Dr. Carson, this is really important, everything we talked about today. Thank you so much for sharing all of this great information about the CAC with us. We appreciate it. Thanks again.
Dr. Carson: Thank you so much, Bill. Take care.
Host: And once again, that's Dr. Lynn Carson. And for more information, please visit UPMC.com/CentralPACAC, that's UPMC.com/CentralPACAC. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Healthier You, a podcast from UPMC. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.