The
Big Girl Chronicles: National Child
Abuse Prevention Month
I’ve
compared statistics about child abuse in America. I’m saddened at reviewing the numbers not
just because there are so many but also because I realize that those statistics
are only cases that have been reported, meaning that there are still however
many more children out there who continue to suffer abuse. I’m sure growing up you were aware as a child
of something not quite right with a friend, fellow classmate, neighbor or peer
that you later learned could possibly have been abuse. Now as adults we have taken on the potential
horrors that our parents once endured with the possibilities of abuse of our
children away from the home. Or that
someone else’s child – one of our children’s peers, friends, a neighbor or
classmate – is quietly being abused. As
with many unpleasant thoughts it’s easy to instead practice avoidance on the
subject and distant our minds from the possibility that some child we know
could be subjected to abuse, much less the thought that it could be your own
child. The truth of the matter is that
if we are to do everything within our power as parents and responsible adults
to help diminish child abuse, the first step is awareness. We can educate ourselves about signs and
symptoms of potentially abused children and what those different forms of abuse
are. Then we can get involved and
properly report anything that seems legitimate.
Among the most important of steps we can take to diminish child abuse is
educate our children, and to begin doing so at an early age. Professionals have suggested talking with
children about what is considered “good touching” and what kinds of touching
are inappropriate. Arming your children with knowledge is one of the most
important measures that can be taken to prevent your child and others from
becoming victims of abuse.
Click the following links for more information about child abuse.
National Sex Offender Registry nsopr.gov
