School closures, child maltreatment reporting and victimization during the pandemic

Abstract

Background

School closures during the pandemic correlated with declines in child maltreatment reports in the U.S. However, it remains unclear how reporting from personnel other than schoolteachers or nurses and the nature of these reports were affected.

Objective

To examine the effect of school closures on child maltreatment reports by reporting source, maltreatment type, and likelihood of victimization as the pandemic evolved.

Participants and setting

Child maltreatment reporting in the U.S. from January 2018 to May 2022.

Methods

Linking child file data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System with school closure data from the U.S. School Closure & Distance Learning Database, we estimate the effect of school closures on county-month level child maltreatment reports by reporting source and maltreatment type. We also examine the effect on individual-level likelihood of victimization over three phases (January 2018–February 2020, March 2020–May 2021, and August 2021–May 2022).

Results

The county-month level models show that school closures negatively affected reporting across all sources and maltreatment types. The child-report level models suggest that school closures were associated with an increased likelihood of victimization. The effects of school closures and maltreatment risk factors (e.g. caregiver domestic violence) did not weaken as the pandemic waned.

Conclusions

This study adds nuance to the understanding of child maltreatment trends in relation to school closures and other factors throughout the pandemic. It is crucial to enhance reporting through alternative methods. Strategies targeting domestic violence and inadequate housing may be more effective in reducing and preventing child maltreatment.