A report by the National Council for the Child has found that between March and October 2020, a period during which Israel instated two nationwide lockdowns over the coronavirus pandemic, the number of suspected child abuse cases double.
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This period saw a 55% increase in called to the police child protection hotline compared to the same period on 2019, and there was a 40% increase in the number of children showing suicidal tendencies who were treated by educational psychologists.
NCC Director Vered Windman said, "The data clearly shows that while coronavirus may have a lesser effect on children and teens medically, it has inflicted dire social and emotional damage on many and the issue must be addressed without delay. Children cannot be made to wait for political stability. The situations must be addressed without delay."
