COVID-19 Survivor Impact Briefs Children and Youth 

The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims conducted a series of 
listening sessions to unearth the impact the COVID-19 health crisis is 
having on underserved victims of crime and better resource the crime 
victim services field to respond to those needs. 

This brief summarizes the issues and strategies that emerged from 
listening sessions on children and youth survivors. 

Introduction 

While children and youth have in large part been spared the direct health effects of COVID-19, 
they are significantly impacted in many other ways. Efforts to reduce the spread of the virus, 
including school closures and social distancing have disrupted our social safety net, leaving 
children and youth at heightened risk for abuse. Reduced access to teachers, family members, 
and friends has resulted in a drastic decrease in reporting, while increased opportunities for 
abuse are compounded by a host of stressors impacting families across the country. Our 
existing systems for effectively responding to the victimization of children and youth has been 
all but dismantled. Fortunately, an army of dedicated advocates, including child protective 
workers, law enforcement, forensic interviewers, therapists, and Child Advocacy Center staff 
have mobilized to confront these new challenges. This brief explores some of those needs and 
creative solutions shared during listening sessions, strategy sessions, and conversations with 
survivors. 

National Resource Center for Reaching Victims logo - Helping those who help others and National Child Advocacy Center logo

Unique Impacts 

Increased Risk for Victimization 

Historical risk factors, such as social isolation, family stress, and parenting stress, suggest 
that children and youth are at extremely heightened risk for victimization during state 
mandated school closures and stay at home orders. Anecdotal reports from Children’s 
Advocacy Centers (CACs) and hospitals suggest spikes in the number of severe physical 
abuse cases and child fatalities. While some risk of child sexual abuse may be reduced 
because of nearly constant parental supervision, technology facilitated exploitation of 
children is expected to increase as children spend more time on the internet. Already 
vulnerable populations including children from immigrant families and those with 
disabilities are believed to be at even greater risk. 

Significant Drop in Reports of Abuse 





Throughout the country reporting of child abuse has seen dramatic declines. Reports 
suggest that hotline calls in some areas have been cut by more than half. Teachers, 
school nurses and counselors, who have accounted for as much as 20% of all reporting of 
abuse and neglect, have lost access to their students. Family members, friends, 
neighbors, physicians, clergy, and a host of others no longer have the regular interaction 
that served to monitor the welfare of at-risk children. 





How to Safely Provide Services 

An early and existing concern is how to safely provide victim services to children in a 
manner that safeguards against coronavirus transmission. While CACs worked quickly to 
ensure they were categorized as essential services few, if any, were immediately 
prepared to safely provide services in such new ways. To date, CACs are working hard to 
secure personal protective equipment for staff and clients, renovating interview and 
meeting spaces to accommodate distancing and adopting new protocols aimed at 
ensuring safety. Compromises in safety and/or the quality of service have had to be 
made in a field where face to face interaction with children, absent their potentially 
abusive or unsupportive caregivers was not only routine but required. 





April 2020 


Integrity of the Model 

For the past 35 years, the effective investigation and response to child victimization has 
relied heavily on multidisciplinary collaboration. An array of new and challenging barriers 
to such partnership, imposed by COVID-19 mitigation efforts, have already begun to 
erode the integrity of the longstanding model of service. Reports of forensic interviews 
retuning to the field, a reduction in joint investigative efforts and decreased 
interdisciplinary information sharing are raising concerns within the field. 





Preparing for the Flood 

Among the most pressing concerns looks to the future. As communities and schools slowly 
begin to reopen, child advocates are preparing for what will be without doubt a flood of 
new cases of child victimization. Service providers, likely with strained funding, fewer 
staff and limited protective resources, will have to find ways to provide services at a 
volume that will in many areas exceed capacity. How to effectively prioritize cases and 
meet demand without sacrificing quality and safety is of utmost consideration. This is 
particularly troubling for those children in need of disability and language access 
accommodations, who may experience long waits for such supportive services. 





Promising Strategies 
Essential Services 

CACs and other children and youth victim service agencies were quickly classified by 
state and local governments as essential, elevating an often under-recognized service 
and minimizing disruption in delivery. Most CACs are currently open and operating in 
some capacity, especially for emergent cases. 





Tele-Mental Health 

With almost lightning fast speed many victim service providers have made the shift to 
tele-mental health. Technology facilitated delivery of therapeutic services has allowed 
many children to continue to receive the supportive counseling they need at a time when 
it is needed most. 





April 2020 


Latino man smiling and holding a young child close in hug
Virtual Teaming 

Many local multidisciplinary child abuse response teams rapidly made a shift to 
conducting virtual case review meetings; maintaining a hallmark of collaborative practice 
that ensures information sharing and joint decision making in child abuse cases. Many 
teams have reported increased attendance and participation since making the shift to 
virtual team meetings. 





Networking and Communication 

Among the most impressive and note-worthy practices within the field of children and 
youth victim services is the pervasive and robust networking and communication that has 
been taking place. National, Regional, State and local service providers quickly came 
together and continue to regularly share information and resources. This has in essence 
allowed the spread of creativity and innovation in child and youth victim services to 
outpace the spread of the virus. 





April 2020 


About the National Resource Center for Reaching Victims 

The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims (NRC) is a clearinghouse for victim 
service providers, culturally specific organizations, criminal justice professionals, and 
policymakers to get information and expert guidance to enhance their capacity to identify, 
reach, and serve all victims, especially those from communities that are underrepresented in 
healing services and avenues to justice. For more information about the NRC, visit the NRC’s 
website at http://reachingvictims.org. 

About the National Child Advocacy Center 

The National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC), located in Huntsville, Alabama, 
revolutionized the United States’ response to child sexual abuse. Since its creation in 1985, 
the NCAC has served as a model for the 1000+ Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) now 
operating in the United States and in more than 34 countries throughout the world, with 9 
more currently in development. For more information about the NCAC, visit the NCAC 
website at https://www.nationalcac.org 

This resource was produced by the Vera Institute of Justice under award #2016 XV GX K015, awarded by 
the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, 
findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this (insert type of product) are those of the 
contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the 

U.S. Department of Justice. 

April 2020