Yuma child abuse cases see spike during pandemic

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Amberly's Place says the return to in-person learning has revealed a disturbing trend in Yuma County. Staffers tell News 11, as more and more kids head back to the classroom, more and more reports of child abuse are surfacing.

Amberly's Place says it helped 249 victims in April. That is up 30% from the same month last year. The organization assisted 192 victims in April of 2020.

In a statement the organization writes:

"We assisted 249 victims in April. Once school started providing in-person instruction we saw the numbers of reported child abuse increase as the stats show.  There were 11 reports of child physical abuse which came to Amberly’s Place. While 20 child sexual abuse reports came to Amberly’s Place. When you ponder on those numbers also think of the additional  50 children who also experienced trauma from this assault to a sibling."

-Diane Umphress, Executive Director, Amberly's Place

Umphress continues working even during her last week as Executive Director, but she and the newly appointed Executive Director, Tori Bourguignon have the same goals when it comes to helping victims of abuse. Bourguignon says she is thankful for mandated reporters.

"We have more cases being reported and I think that is in large part due to the mandated reporters being back in the classrooms with kids all over the County. And we are thankful for that because when we know, when we’re aware of it, then we can intervene in order to make sure that the children are safe," says Amberly's Place Executive Director Tori Bourguignon.

Still, the current number of cases does not reflect child abuse or domestic violence that is not reported.

"It’s very very difficult to report when you are isolated and um help isn’t as readily available as when you’re in school," says Bourguignon.

Victims are not only the individual being directly abused but also others in the household.

"At Amberly's Place, we deal with both primary and secondary victims. So the primary victim is the victim of the abuse, but recognizing as a family advocacy center that we address whole families. And abuse doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Just because one child is the victim of abuse doesn’t mean that the other siblings are not affected by the trauma in the household and so we address families," explains Bourguignon.

Bourguignon encourages anyone who suspects any type of abuse to report it to the local police department at (928) 373-4700 or the Department of Child Safety. She says even the slightest sign could mean some kind of abuse is happening at home. You can remain anonymous when reporting abuse.

Mandated reporters are working closely with authorities to disclose anything they find suspicious as well.