Are Tensions in Your Home Running Hot?
Believe it or not, the reporting of child abuse and neglect has decreased during the pandemic. However, that doesn’t mean that there are less abuse cases and victims. Typically, many cases of abuse are reported by school personnel or care givers. Due to the pandemic these interactions have been limited or non-existent, so abuse and neglect continues but is going unnoticed.
Families have been impacted by the closure of schools, the lack of social interaction, the potential loss of income, the loss of caregivers, and an increase in stress. Children are being left home alone while their parents go to work or left to fend for themselves while their parents are sleeping. In some families whose children are virtual learning, the students are left home alone all day while parents work with the expectation their kids are doing their school-work. Often this is not the case, the kids are not logging on and not attending school virtually. In other cases, parents are taking out their frustrations on their children in the form of abuse.
Can Child Abuse Be A Criminal Offense?
Due to this long list of limitations thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, abuse and neglect continue to increase. This is contrary to what may appear in reported cases.
Central Florida Bonding wants to make you aware that child abuse and child neglect can be classified as a criminal offense. According to the Florida Statutes, child abuse is defined as, “Intentional infliction of physical or mental injury upon a child, an intentional act that could reasonable be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child or active encouragement of any person to commit an act that results or could reasonably be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child.” Child neglect is defined as, “A caregiver’s failure or omission to provide a child with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health, including, but not limited to, food, nutrition, clothing, shelter, supervision, medicine, and medical services that a prudent person would consider essential for the well-being of the child.”
What Are the Penalties For Child Abuse in Florida?
Penalties for child abuse in Florida can include fines, prison time, and probation. The sentence varies depending on whether the crime is child abuse, aggravated child abuse, neglect of a child that does not result in great bodily harm, and neglect of a child that does result in great bodily harm. The defendant’s criminal history also comes into factor. If convicted, the defendant could lose parental rights.
If you know or suspect child abuse or neglect and the child is in immediate danger, please call 911. Otherwise, please call the abuse hotline at 1-800-962-2873 to report abuse.
Our staff here at Central Florida Bonding offers bond for charges of child abuse, child neglect, domestic violence, DUI, assault, battery, theft, drugs, drug trafficking, traffic misdemeanors and more. Our bail bondsmen are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year. Please call us at 407-841-3646 to start the bail bond process.
All of our bail bondsmen at Central Florida Bonding are experienced and knowledgeable. They are ready to assist you with paperwork, explain the bail bond process, and answer any questions you may have regarding the criminal justice system. We serve all of Central Florida and have helped clients from Orange, Seminole, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, and Osceola counties. We have been providing our services to Central Florida since 1979. Don’t stay in jail. Instead, trust the professionals at Central Florida Bonding to bond you out of jail quickly. Rely on our experience and expertise. Please contact us today at 407-841-3646 to start the bail bond process.
