This is the first week of April.
Of course, many people engaged in April Fool’s Day by playing jokes on friends, family and other loved ones. April Fool’s Day is simply a reminder that laughter is good for the soul, and we all could use a little bit of it.
Also, with the month of April comes several issues that deem national awareness.
One of those issues is child abuse. Child abuse is defined as “{Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation”; or “An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm”}” (childwelfare.gov).
Child abuse is one of those things we do not seem to want to talk about or try to ignore if signs of it are presented to us; however, it’s a serious happening. Children are suffering at an alarming rate at the hands of people they know, trust, and love. According to the Child Help website, “A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds in the United States. Every year, more than 4 million referrals are made to child protection agencies involving more than 4.3 million children (a referral can include multiple children). The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations – losing on average 5 children every day to child abuse and neglect. In 2019 alone, state agencies found over 656,000 victims of child maltreatment, but that only tells part of the story.”
Child abuse is a harsh reality that we must face. Even when a child does not verbally say they are being abused, they give signs that they probably do not understand: unexplainable change in behavior, withdrawal or isolation, lack of social skills, aggression towards others, knowledge of adult issues inappropriate for their age, poor eating habits, bed wetting, sleep deprivation, fear of being alone, self-harm such as cutting, poor school performance, and so forth. When a child’s behavior is deemed one that cannot be dealt with, that child is probably crying out for help, for needed attention, for at least one person to show him/her some compassion.
During the month of April, “National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM) recognizes the importance of communities working together to help families thrive and prevent child maltreatment; communities are encouraged to increase awareness about child and family well-being and work together to implement effective strategies that support families and prevent child abuse and neglect” (childwelfare.gov).
NCAPM goes back to the old, familiar saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” It takes all of us (parents, relatives, teachers, coaches, pastors, counselors, neighbors, government officials, etc.) to help children grow and become the best version of themselves; what one person isn’t doing for a child, another person must be willing to step up and do. If you see something, please say something; you just may be saving a child’s future and ultimately his/her life.
