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Health Tips
Child Abuse Prevention
 April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
US Dept of Health and Human Services - The Administration for Children and Families
April has been designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month by Presidential proclamation since 1983. The observance seeks to raise awareness about child abuse prevention by educating individuals and communities about how they can help prevent abuse and neglect of children.
What is Child Maltreatment?
Child abuse and neglect are defined in both Federal and State legislation. Federal legislation provides a foundation for States by identifying a minimum set of acts or behaviors that define physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.
What Are the Main Types of Maltreatment?
There are four major types of maltreatment: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. While State definitions may vary, operational definitions include the following:
Physical Abuse is characterized by the infliction of physical injury as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking or otherwise harming a child. The parent or caretaker may not have intended to hurt the child; rather, the injury may have resulted from over-discipline or physical punishment.
Child Neglect is characterized by failure to provide for the child's basic needs. Neglect can be physical, educational, or emotional.
- Physical neglect includes refusal of, or delay in, seeking health care; abandonment; expulsion from the home or refusal to allow a runaway to return home; and inadequate supervision.
- Educational neglect includes the allowance of chronic truancy, failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school, and failure to attend to a special educational need.
- Emotional neglect includes such actions as marked inattention to the child's needs for affection; refusal of or failure to provide needed psychological care; spouse abuse in the child's presence; and permission of drug or alcohol use by the child.
The assessment of child neglect requires consideration of cultural values and standards of care as well as recognition that the failure to provide the necessities of life may be related to poverty.
Sexual Abuse includes fondling a child's genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials. Many experts believe that sexual abuse is the most under-reported form of child maltreatment because of the secrecy or "conspiracy of silence" that so often characterizes these cases.
Emotional Abuse (psychological/verbal abuse/mental injury) includes acts or omissions by the parents or other caregivers that have caused, or could cause, serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders. In some cases of emotional abuse, the acts of parents or other caregivers alone, without any harm evident in the child's behavior or condition, are sufficient to warrant child protective services (CPS) intervention. For example, the parents/caregivers may use extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement of a child in a dark closet. Less severe acts, such as habitual scapegoating, belittling, or rejecting treatment, are often difficult to prove and, therefore, CPS may not be able to intervene without evidence of harm to the child.
Although any of the forms of child maltreatment may be found separately, they often occur in combination. Emotional abuse is almost always present when other forms are identified. For more information, contact the Clearinghouse.
Anything you do to support kids and parents can help reduce the stress that often leads to abuse and neglect.
Prevent Child Abuse America
Be a friend to a parent you know. Ask how their children are doing. Draw on your own experiences to provide reassurance and support. If a parent seems to be struggling, offer to baby-sit or run errands, or just lend a friendly ear. Show you understand.
Be a friend to a child you know. Remember their names. Smile when you talk with them. Ask them about their day at school. Send them a card in the mail. Show you care.
Talk to your neighbors about looking out for one another's children. Encourage a supportive spirit among parents in your apartment building or on your block. Show that you are involved.
Give your used clothing, furniture and toys for use by another family. This can help relieve the stress of financial burdens that parents sometimes take out on their kids.
Volunteer your time and money for programs in your community that support children and families, like parent support groups or day care centers.
Child abuse and neglect occur in all segments of our society, but the risk factors are greater in families where parents:
- Seem to be having economic, housing or personal problems
- Are isolated from their family or community
- Have difficulty controlling anger or stress
- Are dealing with physical or mental health issues
- Abuse alcohol or drugs
- Appear uninterested in the care, nourishment or safety of their children
By helping parents who might be struggling with any of these challenges, you reduce the likelihood that their children will be abused or neglected. Reach out to the children, too, and show them that you care.
The behavior of children may signal abuse or neglect long before any change in physical appearance. Some of the signs may include:
- Nervousness around adults
- Aggression toward adults or other children
- Inability to stay awake or to concentrate for extended periods
- Sudden, dramatic changes in personality or activities
- Unnatural interest in sex
- Frequent or unexplained bruises or injuries
- Low self-esteem
- Poor hygiene
If you see these signs in any children you know, reach out to them and to their parents and offer a helping hand.
You Have the Power to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect
US Dept of Health and Human Services - The Administration for Children and Families
As an individual and as a member of your community, you have the power to prevent child abuse and neglect. Here are some ways to contribute your ounce-or more-of effort to prevention.
- Understand the problem. Child abuse and neglect affect children of all ages, races, and incomes. According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), in 1999, an estimated 826,000 children nationwide were victims of maltreatment. Most experts believe that actual incidents of abuse and neglect are more numerous than statistics indicate.
- Understand the terms. Child abuse and neglect take more than one form. Federal and State laws address four main types of child maltreatment: physical abuse, physical or emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Often more than one type of abuse or neglect occurs within families. Some types of maltreatment, such as emotional abuse, are much harder to substantiate than others, such as physical abuse.
- Understand the causes. Most parents don't hurt or neglect their children intentionally. Many were themselves abused or neglected. Very young or inexperienced parents might not know how to take care of their babies or what they can reasonably expect from children at different stages of development. Circumstances that place families under extraordinary stress-for instance, poverty, divorce, sickness, disability-sometimes take their toll in child maltreatment. Parents who abuse alcohol or other drugs are more likely to abuse or neglect their children.
- Support programs that support families. Parent education, community centers, respite care services, and substance abuse treatment programs help to protect children by addressing circumstances that place families at risk for child abuse and neglect. Donate your time or money, if you can.
- Report suspected abuse and neglect. Some States require everyone to report suspected abuse or neglect; others specify members of certain professions, such as educators and doctors. But whether or not you are mandated by law to report child abuse and neglect, doing so may save a child-and a family. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the police or your local child welfare agency.
- Spread the word. Help educate others in your community about child abuse and neglect. See the list on the back of this sheet for sources of free materials. Ask if you can leave a stack of brochures at your local public library, recreation or community center, government center, or other public place. You also might make material available at your church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other faith institutions. Even grocery stores usually have places to distribute community materials.
- Strengthen the fabric of your community. Know your neighbors' names and the names of their children, and make sure they know yours. Give stressed parents a break by offering to watch their children. Volunteer. If you like interacting with children, great, but you do not have to volunteer directly with kids to contribute to prevention. All activities that strengthen communities, such as service to civic clubs and participation on boards and committees, ultimately contribute to the well-being of children.
- Be ready in an emergency. We've all witnessed the screaming-child-in-the-supermarket scenario. If we are parents, at least once that screaming child has been ours. Most parents take the typical tantrum in stride. But what if you witness a scene-in the supermarket or anywhere else-where you believe a child is being, or is about to be, physically or verbally abused? Responding in these circumstances technically moves beyond prevention to intervention, and intervention is best handled by professionals. Still, if you find yourself in a situation where you believe a child is being or will be abused at that moment, there are steps you can take. Prevent Child Abuse America suggests the following:
- Talk to the adult to get their attention away from the child. Be friendly.
- Say something like, "Children can really wear you out, can't they?" or "My child has done the same thing."
- Ask if you can help in any way-could you carry some packages? Play with an older child so the baby can be fed or changed? Call someone on your cell phone?
- If you see a child alone in a public place-for example, unattended in a grocery cart-stay with the child until the parent returns.
Finally-and most important if you are a parent-remember that prevention, like most positive things, begins at home. Take time to re-evaluate your parenting skills. Be honest with yourself-are you yelling at your children a lot or hitting them? Do you enjoy being a parent at least most of the time? If you could benefit from some help with parenting, seek it-getting help when you need it is an essential part of being a good parent. Talk to a professional that you trust; take a parenting class; read a book about child development. Contact the resources below to locate places that parents can get help.
Resources
Parents Anonymous, Inc.
675 W. Foothill Blvd., Suite 220
Claremont, CA 91711
Phone: (909) 621-6184
Fax: (909) 625-6304
E-mail: parentsanonymous@parentsanonymous.org
Web: http://www.parentsanonymous.org/
Prevent Child Abuse America
200 S. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604-2404
Phone: (800) CHILDREN or (312) 663-3520
Fax: (312) 939-8962
E-mail: mailbox@preventchildabuse.org
Web: http://www.preventchildabuse.org
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