You don’t have to work with children or even have kids of your own to spot and help prevent child abuse and neglect. Anyone can step up to protect the young people in our community.
“Get involved, learn about the issue and reach out to families that need help,” says Childhaven President Debra Ronnholm. “What we do today can help a child for a lifetime.”
According to the national nonprofit Prevent Child Abuse America, the behavior of children and youth may signal abuse or neglect long before any change in physical appearance. Some of the signs may include:
- Lack of adult supervision
- Extreme passivity, or aggression toward adults or other children
- Inability to stay awake or to concentrate for extended periods
- Sudden changes in behavior or school performance
- Bizarre or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior
- Watchfulness, as if waiting for something bad to happen
- Frequent or unexplained bruises or injuries
- Medical or dental problems that go untreated
- Poor hygiene
Ronnholm points out that child abuse and neglect can occur in any family, but the risks are greater in those struggling with mental illness, domestic violence, substance abuse, health issues, extreme poverty and lack of support systems. In today’s economic climate, the risks can soar as financial pressures increase family stress.
Abuse and neglect can be prevented. Here are some ways that everyone can help:
- If you suspect a child is being abused and neglected, speak up. You can report your suspicions confidentially by calling the state’s Child Abuse Hotline at 1-866-ENDHARM (1-866-363-4276). If a child appears to be in immediate danger, call 911.
- Reach out to a parent who seems to be struggling by offering to baby-sit or by lending an ear.
- Find out about parenting training or support offered by local schools, faith groups or nonprofit organizations, and then offer to help out. If none are offered in your neighborhood or town, look into ways to get them off the ground.
- Learn more about organizations that are making a difference in the lives of abused and neglected children.
- Become a foster parent.
- Raise the issue in your community and with elected officials.
“Prevention and early intervention go hand in hand and are the keys to stopping child abuse and neglect,” Ronnholm says. “Get involved. You may be the one who saves a child’s life.”