As Child Abuse Awareness Month winds down, Cattaraugus County Social Services Commissioner Anthony Turano reflected on the department’s 2020 challenges and accomplishments.

“Healing starts with awareness,” Turano said. “As the month draws to a close, I find myself wondering if we have collectively done enough.”

The 1,701 investigations by the Department of Social Services Child Protective Services Division was the fewest complaints since 2017, probably due to COVID-19.

There were 1,833 complaints investigated by CPS in 2019, 1,924 in 2018 and 1,819 in 2017. There are 18 county CPS investigators.

The staff investigated 122 sexual/physical abuse reports of minor children in 2020 and removed 23 children and placed them in foster care. There were 119 abuse reports and 42 children placed in foster care, 20 abuse investigations and 20 foster care placements in 2018 and 131 reports and 28 foster placements in 2017.

Turano said the number of complaints was probably lower in 2020 because most children were learning remotely from home and not in the classroom where teachers, counselors and nurses often spot signs of suspected child abuse and report it.

“As the agency charged with investigating and intervening in child abuse and maltreatment, we are fortunate to have many partners working with us to address this most critical issue in our communities,” Turano said. Those agencies include Connecting Communities in Action, Salamanca Schools, Community Services and Sheriff’s Office.

Turano, who worked in Child Protective Services before being named commissioner, said, “I have interviewed children who have told stories of unspeakable sexual abuse and taken confessions from countless men who have confessed to their actions. I have then listened to the mothers of those abused children choose to stay with the man who abused their children even after they have read the written confessions from their children’s abusers.”

First responders, doctors, educators or the clergy can also experience trauma in responding to victims of physical or sexual abuse. This abuse of a child can be compounded by a lack of support from the non-offending parents, Turano added.

As the 2020 Child Abuse Prevention awareness campaign concludes, Turano asked community to think about prevention. If you think you see signs of child abuse, it should be reported to the state Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-342-3720.

“When we ask ourselves how someone could perpetrate acts of domestic violence or use a child’s body for their own sexual gratification, it is common that we shake our heads and call such horrible behavior the actions of someone with a sick mind,” Turano said.

“Over the past few years, I have been fortunate to partner with a number of local leaders in the human services, law enforcement, educational and medical communities who have come together to dive into trauma and its impact on all of our work,” he said.

“I am convinced that changing how we respond to childhood trauma is the only path to limiting the footprint it leaves on families in general and societies as a whole.” Turano said.

The Center for Disease Control in 2015 estimated the annual cost of child abuse in America was $2 trillion, Turano said. The number represents the cost of responding child abuse and maltreatment from multiple systems, including mental health, education, law enforcement, foster care, the courts and the medical community.

While there were fewer reports of child abuse last year, “the ones that were investigated were much more severe as parents with limited coping skills were stressed out and cooped up for long periods,” Turano said. “They turned to alcohol and drugs that led to violence, sexual abuse or simply a lack of willingness or ability to provide adequate supervision of their children.”

Individuals who had an adverse childhood experience may struggle under challenges as adults, Turano said. “The evidence from the CDC shows you may face challenges as an adult that may include alcohol or drug addiction, involvement in the criminal justice system, physical or mental health issues or perhaps all of the above. The notion that there is a cycle of abuse could not be made clearer.”

Those with several adverse childhood experiences can face a higher risk for cancer, stroke, chronic lung disease, mental disorders and suicidal thoughts. These adverse childhood experiences can shorten life expectancy and the trauma can be passed on to children.

Turano said it is possible for those who have experienced childhood trauma to live healthy, productive lives. “That is why healthy relationships are so difficult for wounded people. Where trust is violated, it may take a lifetime to rebuild but creating awareness and expanding options to allow healing to happen should be our collective focus.”