Back to top

Increase in Serious Physical Abuse Related to Foreclosure Trend

An article published by PolicyLab’s Joanne Wood and David Rubin shows a significant increase in children admitted to children’s hospitals due to serious physical abuse over the last decade. The study also found a strong relationship between a region’s rate of physical abuse admissions and its local mortgage foreclosure trend, a hallmark of the recent recession. These findings are based on data from 38 children’s hospitals and contrast with national child welfare data, which show a decline in child physical abuse over the same period.  Read the 1-page brief, press release, and project summary.