A child advocacy centre in Winnipeg is concerned about a dramatic drop in child abuse reports it’s receiving as social distancing measures remain in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.
With school, sports and many other children’s activities cancelled, adults who would typically spot signs of child abuse are no longer able to see and report it, according to Christy Dzikowicz, executive director of Snowflake Place for Children and Youth. “It’s getting very, very quiet and for those of us on the child abuse response front that’s a really significant worry,” Dzikowicz said. “We’re not going to have teachers and parents and friends of kids calling us to let us know they’re worried about a child.” Dzikowicz can’t say exactly how much reporting