More Children Died From Abuse Than COVID-19 in 2020 in Pennsylvania

Amid school closures, cancelled holidays, and compulsory mask wearing, 2020 was a difficult year for children, but none more so than for those who lived in abusive homes. A recently released annual child abuse report from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services showed that in 2020, the state registered a 43 percent increase in child abuse deaths compared to 2019. That is, 73 children died from child abuse in 2020 compared to 51 deaths in 2019. The increase is new and significant; reports going back to 2010 average 37 deaths a year. And it is notably higher than the 17…