Foreclosures and Child Abuse Have Stunning Connection According to New Study

The foreclosure crisis has far reaching affects but a new study shows that it has a stunning connection to the increase of child abuse cases.

Researchers found that between 2000 and 2009, incidents of child physical abuse increased just less than 1 percent for 38 of the country’s pediatric hospitals. And admissions to pediatric hospitals for physical abuse peaked in 2008, when the housing crisis was at its peak.

The study which appears in the journal Pediatrics found that as mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures rose, the rate of child abuse admissions also increased. 

According to Dr. Joanne Wood the leading researcher for the study, “This type of study can’t demonstrate causation. It can only show an association.’

But Dr. Wood added, “It’s well known that economic stress has been linked to an increase in child physical abuse, so we wanted to get to the bottom of the contrasting reports by formally studying hospital data on a large scale.”

The researchers found that for each 1 percent increase mortgage delinquencies there was a 3 percent increase in child abuse admissions and a 5 percent increase in traumatic brain injuries from physical abuse.

Unless a person has gone through a foreclosure they cannot understand the problems it creates. Homes represent security and stability for a family. When this stability is threatened a person’s emotions can be overwhelming. If parents want to fight for their homes and maintain stability it is possible with the help of a foreclosure attorney.

Receiving a default notice can create a great deal of anxiety, but homeowners have options to possibly save their homes. A foreclosure lawyer can review a person’s options and decide if they can explore a mortgage modification or is a personal bankruptcy is viable option.

Homeowners shouldn’t become frozen if they get a default notice, if they act quickly by hiring a foreclosure attorney they might just be able to keep their precious homes.