Child abuse rises on Saturdays after kids get report cards on Friday, study suggests
/ AP
Child abuse increases the day after school report cards are released – but only when kids get their grades on a Friday, a study in Florida suggests. The curious finding startled researchers, who had figured abuse might go up regardless of the specific day kids got their grades.
But their study of reports to a child abuse hotline that included broken bones, burns and other confirmed abuse found otherwise. An increase only occurred on Saturdays after a Friday report-card.
Though overall rates were small, there were almost four times more cases on those Saturdays than on other Saturdays. No apparent connection between report cards and abuse was found on other days of the week.
"Anecdotally, we know a lot of parents will spank their children or use corporal punishment if they're unsatisfied with their school work," said University of Florida psychologist Melissa Bright, the lead author.
That punishment may become abusive when kids don't have school the next day and parents think injuries might be more likely to go unnoticed, the researchers said, noting that teachers are required to report suspected child abuse. Or, it could be that severe punishment is less likely on weekdays when parents are too busy to focus on report cards, Bright said,
But she acknowledged those theories are speculation and that the findings aren't proof.
The study was published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.
The researchers reviewed calls to a Florida child abuse hotline and school report card release dates in most of Florida's 67 counties during the 2015-2016 academic year. Nearly 2,000 cases of physical abuse in kids aged 5 to 11, confirmed by child welfare authorities, were included.
There was an average of slightly more than 0.6 cases of abuse per 100,000 children on Saturdays after a report-card Friday compared with slightly less than 0.2 cases per 100,000 children on other Saturdays. The average was less than one per day because so many days were included in the analysis. But in a state like Florida, with a school-age population of just over 3 million kids, this could amount to 19 cases of report card-related abuse compared to 5 on other Saturdays, the researchers said.
Outside experts noted study limitations, including no evidence that kids who were abused had received poor grades and no information on when parents first learned of kids' grades. But they said the study was useful for highlighting that child abuse and corporal punishment are still too common even though rates have declined since the 1990s. Rates were 9 per 1,000 U.S. kids in 2016 compared with 13 per 1,000 in 1990.
Dr. Robert Sege, a Boston pediatrician and Tufts University professor of medicine, said bad grades should be a time for parents to find out what's causing their childrens' struggles. "There's no place for corporal punishment for school failure because it doesn't work and misses the point," he said.
Sege is lead author of an American Academy of Pediatrics policy update released last month that recommends against corporal punishment and spanking.
An editorial published with study said the United States deserves a C-minus "for effective discipline strategies."
Changing a report card release day may reduce some abuse, the editorial said, "but it will not solve the larger issue: It is still socially acceptable to hit a child to correct their behavior."
First published on December 18, 2018
© 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Two Chicago police officers killed by train
Police said the officers were investigating a call of shots fired when they were hit by the passing train
updated 39M ago 
Resorts in Jamaica covered up sexual assaults, report says
Investigation shows a number of popular resort destinations in Jamaica have paid victims to stay silent and says an estimated one American is raped a month there
5H ago 
Video shows deputy slamming student accused of stealing candy bar
"It was a blur. I was scared for my life and I didn't know what was going on," the student said
8H ago 
Here's how long it could take for women to earn as much as men
Progress in closing the "gender gap" in pay and other key metrics has stalled, World Economic Forum finds
5H ago 
Lincoln bringing back "suicide doors" with limited edition Continental
The iconic "suicide doors" will soon be back on the road
9H ago 
Wall Street, Congress react to federal judge ruling Obamacare unconstitutional
Health care stocks tumbled after the Friday ruling as more than a dozen states vowed to appeal
10H ago 
Mueller releases memo on Flynn's interview with Peter Strzok
Last week Mueller submitted to the court material regarding Flynn's questioning by the FBI
2H ago 
Three-quarters of CEOs have apologized for Trump
A Yale survey of business leaders finds them full of pessimism and making explanations to international partners
11H ago 
Cuomo cites marijuana legalization in speech laying out priorities
Cuomo says the legalization of recreational marijuana and fixing New York City's subway system are among his top priorities for his third term
12H ago 
What's on White House holiday wish list?
"Where Did You Get This Number?" podcast host Anthony Salvanto explores Beltway wish lists and digs into how NORAD tracks Santa
12H ago 
Resorts in Jamaica covered up sexual assaults, report says
Investigation shows a number of popular resort destinations in Jamaica have paid victims to stay silent and says an estimated one American is raped a month there
5H ago
Here's how long it could take for women to earn as much as men
Progress in closing the "gender gap" in pay and other key metrics has stalled, World Economic Forum finds
5H ago 
Time running out for starving children in Yemen ahead of ceasefire
Having fled from Saudi airstrikes and vicious fighting, people in remote northern Yemen are now up against another killer: malnutrition
10H ago 
U.S. sportswear traced to factory in Chinese labor camp
Behind locked gates, barbed wire and hundreds of cameras, men and women are sewing sportswear that can end up on U.S. college campuses and sports teams
13H ago 
China drives use of armed drones in Mideast, report finds
The use of armed drones in the Middle East has grown significantly in the past few years, according to a new report
16H ago 
Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn share Christmas photo
Hawn posted the picture on Instagram and wrote, "Never thought I'd be sleeping with Santa!"
11H ago 
"The Dark Crystal" prequel reveals first look
Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nathalie Emmanuel lead the voice cast
12H ago 
Yael Stone accuses Geoffrey Rush of sexual misconduct
Stone said in a New York Times interview that she initially "swore I would never come forward"
13H ago 
Ray Rice on domestic violence: "I want to be in a position now to help"
Watch Gayle King's extended interview with Rice and his wife, Janay Rice, Tuesday on "CBS This Morning"
14H ago 
Allen's alleged former teen lover comes forward
Christina Engelhardt opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about her alleged eight-year affair with the "Annie Hall" filmmaker
15H ago 
New reports detail sophistication of Russian influence efforts in U.S.
Two new analyses this week portray a sprawling, multifaceted operation affecting millions of users in the U.S. and persisting long after the 2016 presidential election
14H ago 
Google to spend $1B on major New York City expansion
The 1.7 million square-foot campus will help the tech giant double its New York City staff within a decade
10H ago 
First of new fleet of GPS satellites set for launch
New generation is designed to be more secure and accurate but many new features won't be available until 2022 or later
22H ago 
Colin Kroll, HQ Trivia and Vine co-founder, dies at 34
Colin Kroll, the CEO and co-founder of the popular HQ Trivia app, has died, the company said Sunday
Dec 16 
Almanac: The first vending machine
On December 16, 1884, William Henry Fruen patented his "Automatic Liquid-Drawing Device," leading the way to coin-operated devices dispensing a myriad of products
Dec 16 
Child abuse rises on day after Friday report cards, study shows
But no such trend noted on other days of week, and researchers could only speculate about the reason for the increases
updated 8M ago 
3 who got Legionnaire's disease in Wisconsin hospital die
University of Wisconsin Hospital says 10 others recovered and were released; blames outbreak on since-flushed hot water system
1H ago 
David Begnaud on seeking "acceptance" for Tourette's
The CBS News correspondent recently revealed that he struggled with debilitating Tourette syndrome as a child
9H ago
Cuomo cites marijuana legalization in speech laying out priorities
Cuomo says the legalization of recreational marijuana and fixing New York City's subway system are among his top priorities for his third term
12H ago 
Farm linked to E. coli outbreak recalls cauliflower, lettuce
The farm says it is recalling these items "out of an abundance of caution" after E. coli outbreak tied to romaine lettuce
15H ago 
Here's how long it could take for women to earn as much as men
Progress in closing the "gender gap" in pay and other key metrics has stalled, World Economic Forum finds
5H ago
Wall Street, Congress react to federal judge ruling Obamacare unconstitutional
Health care stocks tumbled after the Friday ruling as more than a dozen states vowed to appeal
10H ago 
Twitter probes unusual traffic, possibly by "state-sponsored actors"
It's latest disclosure mentions lots of unusual activity originating in Saudi Arabia and China
10H ago
Three-quarters of CEOs have apologized for Trump
A Yale survey of business leaders finds them full of pessimism and making explanations to international partners
11H ago
U.S. sportswear traced to factory in Chinese labor camp
Behind locked gates, barbed wire and hundreds of cameras, men and women are sewing sportswear that can end up on U.S. college campuses and sports teams
13H ago 
Two Chicago police officers killed by train
Police said the officers were investigating a call of shots fired when they were hit by the passing train
updated 39M ago 
Statue of Liberty climber convicted in July 4 protest
Therese Okoumou testified she climbed the base of the statue to protest separation of families at the U.S-Mexico border
11H ago 
Mother in viral video where NYPD take toddler speaks out
"I was so afraid. I was combative with my thoughts … I just remember being talked to very viciously," Jazmine Headley said Sunday
Dec 16 
Patient hijacks ambulance in Southern California
Incident started in Lake Elsinore and headed north on Interstate 15 until it finally came to an end in Hesperia
Dec 16 
French city mourns as 5th victim dies after Christmas market attack
More than 1,000 people reportedly attended the memorial Sunday, days after fatal shooting in Strasbourg
Dec 17
