KSAT Community hosts virtual Child Abuse Awareness Town Hall

In 2019, Bexar County reported 5,373 confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect, according to officials

SAN ANTONIO – With the increase in unemployment, domestic violence increasing and more families facing poverty due to COVID-19, there is a potential for an increase in child abuse and neglect in our community.

To help prevent child abuse during COVID-19, KSAT12 will be airing a KSAT Community Child Abuse Awareness Town Hall on Wednesday, July 29 from 2 to 3 p.m. along with a resource phone bank with The Children’s Shelter. A panel of experts (names are shown below in the graphic) will answer questions live and viewers can learn the signs of abuse, how to report it and where to seek help.

The town hall can be viewed online and streamed through the KSAT TV app.

According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Service (DFPS) 2019 Data Book, in Bexar County, there were 5,373 confirmed cases for child abuse and neglect in 2019.

“Child abuse and neglect are serious public health problems and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that can have a long-term impact on health and wellbeing,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This issue includes all types of abuse and neglect against a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role (such as a religious leader, a coach, a teacher) that results in harm, the potential for harm or threat of harm to a child.”

To report abuse, neglect, or exploitation of children, the elderly, or people with disabilities or violations of minimum standards in a child care operation, call this group:

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services’ Texas Abuse/Neglect Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or visit their website here.


Child abuse and neglect is seldom an isolated event. The Children’s Shelter has provided six risk factors shown below that contribute to the ecosystem of child maltreatment.

No. 1: Substance abuse and use

According to the Texas DFPS 2019 Data Book, 79% of the confirmed allegations of child abuse and neglect pertained to neglectful supervision. The overwhelming majority of neglectful supervision involved substance use and abuse.

Parent substance use and parent experience of a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) can have negative effects on children. Children having a parent with a Substance Use Disorder are at risk of experiencing direct effects, such as parental abuse or neglect, or indirect effects, such as fewer household resources.


No. 2: Domestic violence

Research indicates that in 30% to 60% of families where spousal abuse takes place, child maltreatment also occurs.

Children in violent homes may witness parental violence, be victims of physical abuse themselves, or be neglected by parents who are focused on their partners or unresponsive to their children due to their own fears. Even if children are not maltreated, they may experience harmful emotional consequences from the violence they witness.


No. 3: Poverty

Contributing factors of poverty include unemployment/under-employment, food insecurity, housing insecurity, limited educational attainment and the digital gap.

Poverty is a risk factor for neglect, but poverty does not equate to neglect. The presence of poverty alone does not mean a child is unsafe, unloved, or that a parent lacks the capacity to care for his or her child.

Poverty can make it more challenging for parents to meet certain of their children’s needs.

“We must also be very clear that poverty is disproportionately present in communities of color and that this fact carries direct implications for child welfare,” said a representative from The Children’s Shelter.

In Bexar County, the poverty rate is 16.4% with the largest demographic living in poverty being females aged 25 to 34, followed by females aged 18 to 24 and males aged 6 to 11.


No. 4: Untreated mental illness

Parents who are suffering from depression, an anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or another mental illness may have trouble taking care of themselves, much less their children.

A mentally ill or traumatized parent may be distant and withdrawn from their children, or quick to anger without understanding why. Treatment for the caregiver means better care for the children.


No. 5: Intergenerational trauma

Research on intergenerational continuity of violence and adversity finds that individuals who experience abuse, neglect, or other forms of childhood adversity are more likely than are non-exposed individuals to have children who go on to have similar adverse childhood experiences, such as high school non-completion or unemployment.


No. 6: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years).

Children can have ACEs when exposed to violence, abuse, or neglect in witnessing violence in the home or community and especially when having a family member attempt or die by suicide.

When a child’s environment can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and growing up in a household with substance misuse, ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness and substance misuse in adulthood.

ACEs can also negatively impact education and job opportunities. The Children’s Shelter said ACEs can be prevented.


“With the Stay Home. Safe Work. Executive Orders released by the City and County, that put families out of sight, and when social distancing is required to ensure the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is mitigated, that does not mean to be socially isolated,” said Anais Biera Miracle, chief public relations officer, The Children’s Shelter.

Resource guide for community outreach in KSAT12 DMA:

Click on the + sign to the left of the county to see the expanded view of the Google Map.

To learn more about child abuse prevention, visit The Children’s Shelter’s website.

KSAT Community operates in partnership with University Health System, Energy Transfer and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union.


About the Author:

Kiersten has been a Digital Content Creator with KSAT12 since 2017. She graduated from Texas State University with an electronic media degree and previously worked for the Spurs Sports & Entertainment.