April is Child Abuse Awareness Month

By Laura Castle

 

Each April child abuse awareness activities are encouraged throughout the nation. The first child abuse awareness month was proclaimed in April 1983 by then President Ronald Reagan. Last year President Barack Obama continued this tradition stating that "Every American has a stake in the well-being of our nation's children" as he proclaimed April 2009 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Our nation's statistics are revealing: there were 905,000 cases of reported child abuse in 2006. Of these, 794,000 were confirmed by Child Protective Services as being abused or neglected. In the United States children under six years of age are more likely to die from violence and neglect than from accident or illness. Although anything can trigger an attack on a child, the most common triggers are crying during toileting and feeding.

In Florida, last year (2009), 198 children lost their lives to abuse, a shocking increase in the number of deaths in one year. Across the country, the incidence of child abuse was up 20% last year, possibly due to the economic recession. 
Child abuse takes a terrible toll not only on individual lives, but on society as a whole as survivors who have not learned better behaviors fill our prisons. One out of three abused or neglected children will grow up to be an abusive parent. (I love to turn statistics around - two out of three of us will break the cycle of abuse through either non-parenthood or by learning good parenting skills. Hooray- there's cause for hope!)

Many of us wear a blue ribbon throughout the month of April in honor of those who did not survive child abuse, a tribute begun by a Virginia grandmother in 1983, who tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her car in honor of her grandson who died from abuse. By wearing a blue ribbon, we bring attention to the prevalence of violence against children and the harm it causes.

Let us all strive to educate the public about child abuse and encourage individuals and communities to work toward providing safe and healthy homes for children. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who took the time to read this!

 

Laura Castle is a survivor of childhood abuse. She lives in Florida and serves as an advocate for human rights.

Comments

[medieval clothing]

I hope many will be educated and be aware of this.. Thanks much for posting this one.. God Bless us all!

[Dcmp_tweets]

It's great to see this wonderful blog including a message about Child Abuse Awareness Month. Our April newsletter (available at http://dcmp.org/outreach/newsletter/april2010.html ) features a section about CA/N awareness with an article by Professor Harold Johnson, from Michigan State University. CA/N has been found to be at least three times more prevalent among kids with disabilities, so it's an issue that everyone in the field of education (especially special education) should take very seriously! Thanks for posting this!

[Michelle Estile]

Thanks for posting on this; it is such an important issue!

[Leslie B]

If we monsterize (SK says it's OK to create words on his blogsite) the perpetrators of child abuse, we've lost the battle at the get-go. Providing a safe and loving environment for growing children is an enormous undertaking. If people don't possess the resources and the skills that they need for the task, abuse can be a tragic consequence. Ideally, child abuse prevention strategies need to begin before a child is even conceived, and continue thereafter. Nothing is more heart-breaking than a child who has suffered abuse, especially when that abuse, as is often the case, has been inflicted by the person who is entrusted to care for the child.

[meridia]

Laura Castle doing great job ;)

[Laura Castle]

Once again- April 2011 is child abuse awareness month as the heartbreak of mistreatment continues. Another year has passed with many new victims since I wrote this column. Child abuse hurts everyone and we must work towards a society in which children can grow up in love and safety. Thank you!