There is an interesting article in the Florida Orlando Sentinel that I hadn’t thought of before, but it makes sense. I don’t know why this hadn’t crossed my train of thought.

A poor economy leads to an increase in child abuse. Many families are struggling, even those that are considered “middle class.” I know our family has had to tighten our budget and it’s been a downright horrid winter here.

Fuel prices are up, which means it costs me more to put gas in my car, and my home heating costs have more than doubled. Then there’s the fact that the costs of just about everything we buy have increased to cover the rising cost of gas that the transporters use to fuel their delivery vehicles.

What does all of this have to do with child abuse? Financial difficulties cause stress in a family, and increased stress can lead to an increase in child abuse.

According to the Florida article, during a fourteen month period (October 2006 – December 2007), child abuse reports increased by fifteen percent. This time period also showed a dramatic drop in the housing market and sales in Florida.

There is also the issue of families figuring out what to pay for. Do you pay for heating oil, or food for your family? To you put gas in your car to get to work, or buy your child new shoes?

Let’s factor in one more issue. Foreclosures are coming at a very high rate. This is not new news. It’s been a hot topic of conversation for months now. When these families lose their homes, where are they going? They could hopefully rent a home or apartment, but chances are it’s going to be smaller than where they were leaving, which is going to cause stress. They may have to move in with friends or family until they can get back on their feet. I know I would consider this a stressful event. In the worst case, the family becomes homeless, or has to live in a shelter.

If this correlation stays true, the increase in child abuse reports will lead to an increase in children in foster care, which will lead to more money spent on services and higher taxes to cover the services. It can become an endless circle.

I am no economy expert, but I do know this a bad thing for all of us, and especially for our kids.


Photo credit