Bad Economy = Abuse

It troubled me to learn that rates of non-accidental trauma has risen by more than 2-fold at Seattle Children's Hospital. Non-accidental trauma is the medicalized word that describes injuries incurred by children that are the result of abuse. This trend is evident across the country.

This reminds me of a theory I once read about kids born in the Great Depression. When money got tight, parents fought and drank more, leaving children bewildered and often alone. Many kids' childhoods were remembered as periods of unpredictability; in their high school years they lacked direction or a sense of confidence.

Childhood depends on a sense of security. I'm guessing there are a lot of parents who will need to work extra hard to provide that emotional support even as the financial backing has failed.