April is Child Abuse Awareness Month.
This month there’s a greater focus on the importance of protecting the most vulnerable among us—our children. A few days ago newscasts told of a mother of six adopted children who deliberately drove off a cliff in California killing all 8 passengers in the car. She was under the influence of alcohol and the others were drugged. This tragedy should never have happened. It could have been prevented.
Speak Up
Two of the children did approach neighbors, many times, asking for food and reporting abuse. To their credit, some did want to help and spoke up. Sadly, those who had the power to bring help, and stop the abuse, didn’t intervene. That’s heartbreaking. The child protective system isn’t supposed to work like that. Innocent lives were at stake and, in this case, their lives were taken.
How Can We Become More Pro-active
Child Abuse Awareness is something we can be looking for every day; not just in April. Let’s first question our own upbringing. Was abuse acted out against us years ago that is being repeated in our own parenting style? If so, be brave enough to stop it! Seek help immediately. Don’t isolate your family from others. Recognize this evil and change things for the better.
The Joyful Heart Foundation The first federal piece of legislation to protect children from abuse and neglect, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), was passed in 1974. In 1982, Congress took further steps toward identifying and preventing child abuse and recognized the first Child Abuse Prevention Week. Shortly after, the first National Child Abuse Prevention Month was designated in April. Since those early days, the focus on recognition and prevention has widened to include promoting healthy parenting and strong families through education and community support.
Positive Promotions is a site full of resources, educational links, and promotional materials to put to use. The more aware we are of how to be pro-active in preventing child abuse, and make it our business to get the word out, the safer our children will be.
“Mother’s Fury” is a book focusing on the pain of child abuse acted out on a young boy. It’s painful to read at times, but offers many helps for the victim and the abuser.
Make Protecting Children a Personal Quest
If each one of us takes the time to be observant in our own communities, another tragedy like the one mentioned above could be prevented. Take it personal. All that is needed is a heart of compassion, and a phone call, to bring awareness of a family in crisis.
Be a good neighbor. Reach out. Attempt to befriend the family. Invite them to a picnic or a church activity. Showing up friendly speaks volumes and can make all the difference in a child’s life.
