The state of Georgia ranked 38th in the nation for child well-being in 2020, according to statistics from Prevent Child Abuse Georgia.
That was at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later, according to a 2021 study conducted by Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee, the number of child abuse victims among children ages 5 and older tripled from a similar period of time prior to the pandemic.
Linda Johnson, executive director of Family Resource Center of Northeast Georgia (FRC), is witnessing this growing issue firsthand, confirming that, now, more than two years following the pandemic, instances of maltreatment of children in Habersham County and the region has surged to unprecedented levels.
“What I’m seeing is families are in crisis,” Johnson said. “We’re seeing a huge rise. All of our programs have a waiting list.”
Johnson said that local agencies like DFCS and accountability courts are also reporting notable spikes in cases of child abuse and neglect. Like FRC, according to Johnson, the system as a whole is overwhelmed with adolescent victims experiencing abuse and neglect, potentially straining resources of organizations which are often already overburdened and in some cases underfunded.
“In our region, there has been a huge surge,” Johnson said. “There’s an explosion or something going on with families in crisis. The need is bigger than it was even last year. I would think after we got out of the pandemic, things would settle back down. That has not been the case.”
Outlining some of the underlying contributors to cases of child maltreatment, Johnson pointed to substance abuse, increased stress and cyclical poverty that exists in the region. Still, amid the rise in cases, Johnson said the major pillars of support in the community like the Habersham County School System have ramped up their efforts to counter this unsettling trend.
“I’m really impressed with how the schools have increased their councilors,” Johnson said. “We’re getting some referrals for our counseling through the school system. I’m very pleased with how our [region] – especially Habersham County – has really stepped up. There’s a lot of help for families, and I feel like all of us are on top of it.”
In the wake of the spike in cases of child abuse and more families in crisis, Johnson said FRC and the school system have formed a closer relationship in attempt to better control the problem.
“What I like is we’re working with the school counselors,” Johnson said. “Some of our interns are going to the schools to meet with students, instead of making them go to our counseling center, and I do know councilors are getting referrals. [FRC] is swamped with our referrals.”
According to statistics from FRC, Johnson’s organization provided around 1,438 hours of supervised counseling and 2,490 hours of therapeutic counseling to children, teens and adults in 2021. These figures are likely to rise, now, as more cases likely continue to trend upward across the region.
“At any one time we probably have 100 families in our services,” Johnson said. “We always have families rotating in and rotating out. The counseling center runs seven days a week.”
With cases climbing, Johnson and her staff plan to continue to combat the crisis of child abuse and neglect, going into homes to service families and striving to reach at-risk individuals in preventive programs like Healthy Families – an initative undertaken by the organization to serve younger segments of the population who may be at-risk.
Johnson wants people to speak up if they know of possible instances of child abuse or neglect, stressing the obligation the community has to children here in Habersham and throughout the region.
In conjunction with the greater number of service hours FRC provides, Johnson is calling on the community for support, asking individuals to donate to the organization by calling (706) 778-3100. FRC is also in need of a van as additional means of transportation the organization provides to families in crisis.
Individuals in need of resources and immediate support can call 1-800-CHILDREN Helpline for information that can be useful to those across the state.