Covid disrupted the entire world. Few people, governments, or businesses were prepared for it.
World economies tanked. Workers retreated to their homes. Restaurants failed. Airlines and other means of transportation lost passengers.
And children and parents were left in limbo. Suddenly, they didn’t know what to do with their newly found time or responsibilities.
With schools closed, parents and grandparents suddenly had to provide for their children and grandchildren twenty-four hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They hadn’t been trained for these new responsibilities. How were young people to receive learning? What were children to be taught? How were they to be taught? Many adults hadn’t been trained how to use computers.
The rapid closure of schools had failed to anyone for these new responsibilities and tools to address student learning. Computers which were meant to be in children’s hands were still stored in schools or school warehouses. Even, if released, parents hadn’t been trained in their use even if they had the time.
The nature of being a parent in 2020-2021 was different. Many were single having been divorced or separated. Many were raising several children while working a job to support themselves and their children. This was a responsibility they had never asked for or believed they were responsible for. They were juggling too many “glass balls” and it began to show. Reports of increased incidents of child abuse began to show in police reports an court records. The US News and World Reports reported “Child Abuse Rise During Covid Pandemic “Physical abuse of school-aged children tripled in the early months of 2020. More than 39,000 children were treated at nine pediatric trauma centers between March and September in 2020. The article points out that this may is the tip of the iceberg. Many incidents of child abuse never appear in records because pre-teen and teens who may be beaten are not taken to hospitals. Similar reports appeared in the Center for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). What has caused this increase of child abuse? According to numerous articles, economic stress, job insecurity and potential loss of housing.
If Covid returns – a distinct possibility with the removal of masks, new variants and increased indoor time caused by cold weather. What can be done? Schools/districts need to get ahead of the cure and think about pro-active prevention rather than reaction.’’